Gravity Moves
by Orietta Rose
Summary: Jacob has run away, where does he end up? When he imprints what happens? Who is she and can she accept Jacob's fairy tale inspired life? Werewolves, vampires, and bears! Oh my! Will she believe it? JacobxOC AU Written before Breaking Dawn came out.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter Song- The Boy's Gone by Jason Mraz**

**Disclaimer-Yeah, unfortunately I don't own any of the Twilight plot line or characters Stephenie Meyer does...shoot.**

**A/N: So I finally got my act together and I'm fixing all the issues in chapters 1-6, I have #7 written and it will be up very soon, I promise!!**

I ran.

I ran to leave it all behind, my life, my love, my memories.

I ran to forget, to forget her, to forget my loss, to forget myself.

I ran.

* * *

The forest never seemed to end. I must've been running for hours but the scenery never changed. Trees, rocks, grass and dirt. Trees, rocks, grass and dirt. Trees, rocks, grass...

This was to be my home, I could never go back. I could never return, not knowing what she had chosen. Not knowing that she would soon die, that she would never again be the same.

Her sent would burn my nose, she would be cold, lifeless. Her very existence would go against nature, she would never be the same.

Bella, my Bella would be one of _them_. A bloodsucker. A vampire.

* * *

I came to a clearing, there was a stream, and for the first time in who knows how long I stopped running.

Instead I trotted over to the stream and took a long, very much needed drink.

I looked at myself, my reflection. Water dripped off my fur, distorting the image.

What a sorry creature I was, running from my problems. But, what else could I do? There was no way to fix this. I couldn't change her mind, I'd tried my hardest, but still she had chosen _him_.

I growled at the thought of him. Of what he was, what he had done, and what he had, who he had.

Pain. I'd never felt pain like this. It was unbearable, the pain. Losing her, to _him_, that was unbearable.

I couldn't stand it, how weak I was, how this was effecting me, how it was making me feel. I should have been stronger than this. If it had been anyone but her...

I took off again.

* * *

I couldn't stop, I had to keep going, had to get away, but fatigue was setting in. Not physically. Physically I was sure that I could keep going forever, but my mind was tired. So many thoughts, whirling around, chasing each other in never ending circles. All about her, about her choice...

It started to rain, and I didn't care. I didn't care that I was soaked through to the bone, or that the wind was blowing, howling. I couldn't care about anything but her.

The image of her face invaded my mind, so that I couldn't see anything but her.

Bella.

She'd chosen him over me, him, her bloodsucker lover. She left me standing alone, not knowing what to do with myself. Depressed.

And yet I couldn't be angry at her. Not Bella, never Bella. I was angry at myself, for not trying harder, for not doing more. I was angry at _him_. For stealing her away from me, for being the one she'd chosen. I was angry at him for existing.

* * *

I came upon a farm and for the first time I wondered where I was.

I hadn't been paying attention to my direction, I hadn't been paying attention to anything for a long time.

It felt like it had been years since I'd last seen her. Felt her, held her, kissed her...

I winced at the memory, it was so clear, she'd _asked_ for it, of her own will...

I stiffened suddenly, I'd heard a sound. A loud noise, a gun shot.

I'd been spotted.

I crept slowly, silently to hide behind a large boulder, there were voices now, wondering where the 'bear' had gone.

Soon they left, satisfied that they'd scared the monster away and I was alone again.

I laid down then, wallowing in self-pity.

* * *

Sun streamed through between the leaves, birds chirped, squirrels scampered through the fallen leaves. But none of those things woke me.

No, another sound, a voice. A soft voice that chimed like a bell shook me from my nightmares.

And then I saw her. Long, silky black hair, brilliant, sparkling green eyes...

Gravity moved.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Song- Who Needs Shelter by Jason Mraz**

**Disclaimer- Still don't own it...darn.**

I couldn't look away form those eyes. Those eyes that were open wide with fear, and yet still so amazingly beautiful...

It felt like I stared at her forever.

I could see the scream rising in her throat, ready to burst out at any moment. So I stayed still, unmoving so as not to startle her.

Slowly she began to move, to creep backward toward the edge of the forest.

She watched me cautiously, waiting no doubt for me to strike. To come at her, snarling and hungry.

I refused to let my eyes so much as blink. I didn't want to miss one moment of this. Of her.

I'd seen this, felt this before, through the eyes of my brothers. Seen how they saw them, felt how they made them feel, but this was so much stronger than any of that.

This girl, this angel was a thousand times better than Emily, or Kim. There was no way Sam or Jared could possibly have felt this way for either them.

I watched as she gathered her nerve, turned and sprinted away from me.

The waves of unhappiness that crashed over me where overwhelming. I'd never felt anything like this, not even when Bella...

Bella.

My eyes widened and guilt coursed through my veins. How could I have forgotten her so quickly?

Bella, the very thought of whom had set my heart and mind on fire only moments ago, how could I have pushed her so easily aside?

But that doesn't matter, my heart argued, what matters is that girl and finding out who she is!

What about Bella, I thought, I'm in love with her.

Doesn't matter, this girl is _it_. The One.

My eyes widened, and I sat up. The One? I'd imprinted?!

I howled in rage, this wasn't what I wanted! I didn't want to imprint! I wanted to be with Bella!

But that girl, her eyes, her lips, her hair, everything about her pulled me in. That girl made me feel like I would do anything for her. Anything to make her happy. Anything to see her smile. Absolutely anything.

I shook my head, trying to organize my very confused thoughts. Everything was jumbled, and nothing was making sense.

**Another Persons POV**

I quietly shut the screen door behind me, hoping that I wouldn't wake anyone. My morning walk was the only time I had to myself.

Being the oldest child in a family of 9 had never been easy, even when my mother was living, but ever since the twins had begun walking it was harder than ever to get a moment of peace.

I sighed softly, I had to stop feeling sorry for myself. There were others out there who had it so much worse! At least I had a roof over my head, food to eat and clothes to wear...

It had to be confessed though, that sometimes it didn't seem like much.

My mother had lost her battle against breast cancer seven months ago, and my father had been bitterly depressed ever since. I knew he tried not to show it, but it just wasn't something that could be hidden.

It was in the little things, small changes. He'd let his beard grow out, he'd stopped making Sunday morning pancakes...

I've had to take on the role of 'mother' to the youngest ones. June and April, the twins, were just a year old, and James was four. I try very hard to do everything for them that my mother did for me. I'd sing them to sleep, read to them, settle disputes and kiss 'boo-boos'.

The older ones, Samantha, Abigail, and John, helped me around the house, the farm and assisted in caring for the little ones.

I loved my family dearly, and adored being with them. I couldn't imagine not having them around, but sometimes it was just too much. After all I was only 17, and there comes a point at which enough really is enough.

My morning walk was my time to be alone. My time when I don't have to worry about who was where and doing what when. My time to reflect upon myself and my life.

I was at the edge of the forest, headed to my secret spot. My secret spot really wasn't all that secret, but I liked to think that I was the only one who knew of it. It made it special.

I looked over my shoulder at the house, with it's peeling, faded yellow and white paint. It stood silent and still.

Satisfied with the knowledge that my family was warm and safely asleep I continued on the familiar path to my hide away.

It wasn't long before I saw it, my rock. Well, boulder. I didn't know where it came from, or how it got there, but I loved it.

As a child, when my sisters and I played hide-'n-seek, it was my "never failing hiding spot", as I used to call it. Now however it was my refuge, where I went to leave my dull and otherwise unimportant life behind.

"Hello old friend," I whispered, reaching out to touch the cool, gray stone, "Are you well? Did you miss me?" I walked around to the other side of my rock, and to my surprise found that I was not the only one there.

A wolf (or possibly a bear) was in _my _secret spot. The first thing I felt was indignation, how dare it intruded on my private time? That however quickly dissipated into a feeling of overwhelming fear. The animal was so...big!

It's fur was a rusty brown color, eyes black as night and it was absolutely massive!

What startled me even more than its size was the way it looked at me. Like it understood what was happening, what was going on...

Could this have been the bear the boys were chatting about last night?

I backed away slowly, inching backward toward the forests' edge.

I considered screaming, but decided against it, I didn't want to startle the thing.

Abruptly I turned and fled, nearly falling when I caught my toe on the back porch step.

Once inside the kitchen I quickly locked the door and rested my head on the door frame. A small sounding voice greeted me, "Annie, is it brek'fest time yet?"

I turned, wiled eyed, to face little brown haired, brown eyed James. He was standing behind the chair that he had designated as his own clutching a blanket. I did my best to compose myself. "Almost sweetie, just let big sister Annie rest for a second, okay?"

He looked a little suspicious, but didn't question my answer. "'Kay," suddenly his eyes lit up, "Can I get the rest of 'em up?"

"Yeah," I said, sounding breathless, "Go ahead, but try not to wake April and June, alright?"

He nodded, his eyes bright, and dashed up the stairs.

I sank into the chair closest to me, here was the start to another, sure to be, very long day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Song- Monster by Meg and Dia**

**Disclaimer- No, none of the characters you recognize belong to me, how is sad is that? I wish they did...**

**Jacob's POV**

I stayed where I was, trying to calm my thoughts. How could this have happened? The very things I had been running away from had come and found me.

I'd wanted to leave myself behind, to lose myself in this beastly form, to forget who I was. To forget what I'd lost. And yet, here I was, feeling everything I didn't want to feel. Remembering everything I didn't want to remember.

Bella, I loved her, didn't I? I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life, for forever.

But that didn't seem to matter any more.

That girl, who ever she was, meant _everything_ to me now. She had invaded the hole that had been left in my heart by Bella's horrifying decision and all the spaces in between.

I wanted to be with her, to be near her...all the things I'd felt for Bella, only a hundred times more intense.

I tried to get rid of the feeling, tried to find a way out of it. A way out the imprint, of course it was nothing but a big waste of time. It'd already happened.

And so I sat, thinking. Wondering what I was supposed to do next.

It was times like these that the pack mind came in handy. Unfortunately it had been hours since I'd heard anything from anyone. There was no way I'd gotten far enough away to be out-of-contact, we didn't even know if it was possible to _really_ lose touch. It was probably Sam, trying to be supportive, trying to give me some space. Alone time.

Well, right now that was the last thing I needed! I needed help!

I briefly considered turning around and running back to La Push, but how long would that take? And would I be able to find my way back here?

No, I decided, I'd have to stay put and wait for one of them to crack. Then I could explain the situation and call in the reinforcements.

I settled down and shut my eyes again, it could be a long wait.

* * *

**Another Persons POV**

I decided not to tell anyone of my early morning 'encounter'. I didn't want to cause wide spread panic over nothing. And that's what it had been. Nothing.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

No one really seemed to notice my slightly strange behavior. Well, James did, but no one payed him any mind. He was nearly always making up stories and telling little white lies.

After breakfast it was time to go to work.

I gathered them all around the Chart. The Chart was situated on the refrigerator, and was rotated once every week, without the Chart my household would be thrown into never-ending chaos. The Chart was, as its name suggested, a chart. It showed who had what job and when said job needed to be executed.

I would have been lost without the Chart, it kept me sane. Whenever I felt like there was too much going on, all I had to do was look at the Chart. Seeing it's neat color coordinated boxes always made me feel better.

I sent them off in different directions, leaving Samantha with the twins. I would relieve her after I finished with the cows.

As I got to work I thought about my family, about how much they'd needed to grow in the last seven months, in the past few years...

Samantha. She was the oldest child after myself and fifteen now. Our diva. She hopes for big things, and an exciting life.

Abigail, commonly known as 'Abby', was our the thirteen year old dreamer. She had a head full of fantasies, and a life full of dreams.

John, the 'man of the house', being twelve hasn't stopped him from trying to order about the 'women folk' as he called us.

James is my hyperactive, 'can't-stop-now-have-to-keep-going' sweetheart.

April and June, our twins... they may have been only just a year old, but they were so expressive! Neither of them had any a problem letting you know what they wanted.

My family, I took care of them and I loved them but, sometimes I just wished that things could be different. That my mother hadn't died, that we lived some where else, that we could have a bigger house...That we could have just a little bit more.

I knew I should be happy with what I've got, that I should be more grateful. It just seems hard to do sometimes.

There's so much work to be done on the farm. Cows to milk, chickens to feed, and a million other things to do. It's always seemed like my work was never done.

Just as I was finishing up my mini pity party James came running into the barn, yelling, "Annie, look at this! Look at what I found!" He nearly over turned my last pail of milk.

Annabell Old Cow my personal favorite, was by now quite used to loud, unexpected intrusions, and didn't even bat an eye when James ducked under her legs to get to where I was sitting.

He straightened and proudly held out his hands to show me 'it'.

'It' was a lizard. And what an ugly little lizard it was, all green and orange with bulging black eyes...

James of course thought it was the best thing since sliced bread and immediately launched into an elaborate and not completely truthful tale of how he had come to own such an exciting new pet.

"James," I interrupted, "You know you can't keep him. He would miss his family."

He shook his head, evidently he'd already worked out this challenge, "No he wouldn't, I'd get him a new family!"

"How would you feel if someone took you away from us and put you in a new house with people you didn't know?"

He looked down at the little green monster, sighed dramatically and said, "Okay, I'll take 'im back.." He ducked under Annabell Old Cow once more and took off.

"Andrea one, chaos zippo," I muttered petting Annabell's black and white body.

The rest of my day was uneventful, save for the mornings encounter, just as I'd expected it would be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Song- Roses by Meg and Dia**

**Disclaimer- I wish I owned the Twilight characters, but I don't. Bad luck that.**

**A/N: Some swearing, thats Jacob for you...Oh, and I realized something, Jacob is a wolf right now so his emotions are different than when he's human. What he feels for Annie is more of an instinct to care for and protect than to _love_.**

**Jacob's POV**

This was crazy annoying! The one time I actually got what I wanted and it got in the way!

It was fucking insane!

Didn't they care at all? Didn't they want to know where I was, didn't they want know what was going on?

My brothers, undoubtedly under specific instruction, had yet to try and contact me. And while I appreciated the sympathy on Sam's part it had become more of a burden than a blessing.

I needed help! I didn't know how to deal with this. Each plan I thought up was less likely to work than the last. None of the others imprints had been as complicated as this, granted Sam did have it pretty bad, but at least he didn't fall for a complete stranger who had no idea he even existed.

Frustrating, thats what it was, insanely, fucking frustrating.

That girl, I wanted to know her. I wanted to be with her! Though I had yet to see her again, I'd heard her speaking. Her sweet voice had been carried on the wind to my hideout more than once, interrupting what ever thoughts happened to be passing through my mind at the moment and stunning me into a stupefied state of near unconsciousness.

Speak to me, I think, come and speak to me. Sit here with me where I can look at you, where I can keep you safe for the rest of eternity. Come so I can tell you how much I need I you.

She didn't come, but oh how I wished she would.

I would wait for my brothers, but every moment that passed was a moment of torture. Being apart, though we were never together, was painful. I hadn't expected it to be like this, the imprint. I'd thought I would be immune to all of the...side effects. It was so fucking stupid.

It was incredibly different, experiencing something first hand, and seeing it through another's eyes. The emotions seemed so much stronger now, so more difficult to comprehend. It was so intense, my feelings for Bella were nothing compared to this.

Bella, whenever I thought of her guilt consumed me. I'd run because I loved her, it had been my last ditch attempt at something like closure and instead I'd imprinted. How was that for loyalty?

What would she say, what would she think if she knew? If she some how found out that I'd imprinted? Would she be jealous like she said she might be? Would she think this girl wasn't good enough for me?

Doesn't really matter, I thought viciously, she won't find out from me, and the pack certainly won't be talking to her any time soon. Sam's probably banned it, and I can't say that I'd blame him if he did. I would have done the same thing if I were in his place. That damn blooksucker and his bloodsucker 'family'...

Fuck! I was going crazy, the silence was maddening!

_Slam!..._

* * *

**Annie's POV **

I glanced at the clock again, 12:27, exactly 2 minutes since I'd last looked at it.

I couldn't sleep, I just couldn't. I was too worried about my father, he'd never been out this late before. Where could he possibly have gone?

I tapped my foot on the kitchen floor impatiently, time seemed to be moving much faster than it normally would. Maybe it sensed that I wanted it to slow down, that I wanted to be able to give my father the benefit of the doubt when he returned.

I couldn't imagine what could be keeping him. There was no reason for him to be out so late. Unless...

Unless something had happened. Something terrible, like an accident. A fatal accident.

No, I shook my head. The police would have been here long ago to let us know if that had been it. I was just letting myself get worked up.

But then, what could it be? Why would he be so late?

_Slam!_

"Oh thank goodness," I sighed, placing my hand over heart. "That must be him now."

I stood quickly, opened the door and went out onto the porch.

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

I could smell the alcohol from my position behind the rock. The guy must've been nearly three times over the legal limit.

I stiffened when I heard the front door creak open, I knew who it was, I could tell. It was _her_. I knew the way she walked.

My head was lifted over the top of the rock so I could see, as well as hear, what was happening.

She didn't seem to be afraid, obviously she had yet to notice his lopsided posture and the trouble he seemed to be having with walking in a straight line.

"Dad? Are you okay, Dad?"

"Andrea! Are you fucking crazy girl? Get in the house!"

"What!? I've been up for hours waiting for you to get back! What's wrong? What's happened?"

I saw her going down the steps to get closer to him, she didn't see him raise his hand, she didn't see that he was getting ready to strike her.

I snapped.

In a flash I was racing across the yard, and while snarling, jumped onto the almost offender. I knocked him on his back and snapped my teeth inches from his face, a warning. A warning to stay away from my girl and those she cared about.

He must've knocked his head on the ground pretty damn hard because once I removed myself from him he passed out, though I supposed that the alcohol could have had something to do with it too.

I stole a glance at Andrea, hoping to see her reaction to my sudden intrusion. Was she frighted by me? Disgusted? Horrified? Angered? I had to know what it was she was feeling.

* * *

**Annie's POV**

I didn't know what to think. I was almost positive it was the same wolf from before, it looked just like it.

But how could any animal possibly know what this...thing seemed to know? It was like it could understand and think and make rational decisions. I didn't understand it at all!

The thing had just attacked my father, it could do the same to me, but for some reason I didn't think it would. Why? Why couldn't I feel afraid? My head was telling me that I should be afraid, that I should run into the house, grab my brother's gun and shoot it. But I didn't _feel_ like I should, I thought I should, but I didn't seem to be feeling the way I was thinking.

I felt like it knew me, and I felt like I should know it too, but didn't. I felt like I didn't need to worry about it being here, that I should be thanking it rather than shooting at it. How could that be?

I fee tlike there was something more to this animal than what I could see. Like Iwas missing something important, some part of a puzzle and that without it the picture couldn't be completed. And it felt like it needed to be, like it needed to be finished, it seemed important.

I had to find out what it was doing. I needed to know what it was, and why it was here, and why it had stayed.

"Wh-what are you?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Nikki Cleary and Chris Trousdale- One That I Want**

**Disclaimer- No, it's not mine...yet.**

**Jacob's POV**

"Wh-what are you?" She sounded so frightened, was she afraid of me? I didn't want that. I didn't want her to worry about my being here.

What I really wanted to do was _tell_ her that she would be safe with me here, but I couldn't exactly change in front of her. I didn't have any clothes. What kind of first impression would that be? 'Oh, hi, sorry I'm naked, I left my clothes behind when I ran away from my life.' Yes, I was sure that would go over very well.

But then what should I do? How could I show her that I was the last thing she needed to fear?

If it was Bella I'd lick her hand, but she isn't Bella, she's Andrea. Annie. My Annie.

I let out a whimper accidentally and she jumped in surprise. I cocked my head to the side, maybe I could still communicate with her. Could I find a way to tell her that I was here for her benefit? Well, mine more than hers I'd admit that, but still...

I whined and sat down. _Please_, I thought, _don't be so damn afraid of me._

"Huh?" She jerked her head around to look behind her.

Was it possible...?

**Annie's POV**

"Huh?" I whipped around to see behind me. I swore I'd just heard someone say something, but there was nothing there.

"I'm going insane," I muttered. "Talking to you like you can understand me," I gestured to the animal, "hearing disembodied voices. I must really be losing it."

Maybe it was all the work, the lack of sleep. That had to be it, I couldn't think of any other reason for this sudden crack in reality.

It seemed to shake it's head and I thought I head someone, or something say, _No, I don't think thats it._

Which of course I didn't because there was nothing for me to be hearing.

_Please, don't disregard what I think your hearing. This is important!_

"Oh Lord, it's getting worse." I sank down onto the ground and put my head between my knees.

_No really, listen! Look up!_

Against my better judgment I did as the voice told me only to bump my head into something cold and wet. For a moment I looked straight into the eyes of the wolf-bear and then I screamed.

"AHHHHH!" I thought I had startled it as it jumped away from me, but the voice thought differently.

_Damn it! Not so loud!_

That was when I started hyperventilating.

_Calm down, and pay attention. I think your hearing my thoughts! When I think to you directly it's like we're having a conversation. This is so strange...I only know of a few people who can read my mind...disregarding the nonhuman one._

"Nonhuman?! I didn't think I was this imaginative. Maybe I should..."

_You don't believe me?_

"No I don't believe you! I don't believe myself! I'm really truly losing it!"

_I'll prove it, bring me clothes, your fathers. I'll show you._

For a long moment I stared at the wolf-bear, weighing my options. I could give into the voice and go get the clothes or I could say no.

I couldn't find a good reason to refuse, because what could it hurt? The phrase 'famous last words' came to mind then and I second guessed myself. What did I know about this voice? About this animal?

_Get me the clothes please! I swear I'll explain everything as soon as I can change._

"Change what?" I wondered aloud while slowly raising myself from the ground. Once I was standing I glanced at my father who had remained unconscious throughout the 'conversation'. "What about him?" I asked the voice.

_What about him?_ It sounded disgusted. _He'll be fine. He just hit his damn head. It doesn't matter, just get the clothes._

Slowly I inched toward the porch steps and the wolf-bear seemed to heave an impatient sigh so I made a run for it. With a sudden burst of energy I dashed up the stairs and into my father's room. I quickly grabbed a red shirt, khaki pants and boxers from the drawer that had once belonged to my mother.

I made it back downstairs and outside in record time, I doubted that even James could have pulled off my less than two minute run.

"Here," I said, slightly out of breath, while tossing the clothes onto the ground in front of the wolf-bear.

It quickly scooped the pile into it's mouth and took off into the forest.

The minute that followed was quite possibly the longest minute of my life so far. It seemed to last forever.

Suddenly a boy, no a man, emerged from the woods. He was very tall and had russet colored skin. His hair was cropped short and I couldn't help but think that he was sort of cute. Then I noticed what he was wearing.

A red shirt and khaki pants.

The last thing I heard was the stranger saying my name. The last thing I saw was him running toward me. And the last thing I felt were his arms as he caught me before I hit the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

**Dream A Dream- Charlotte Church**

**Jacob's POV**

I managed to catch her before she hit the ground, I was surprised at how light she seemed to be. Even more so than Bella. It worried me, I'd have to take her to Emily once we could get to the reservation.

I needed to contact my brothers so we could plan. It had happened so unexpectedly, so suddenly, it was completely unreal. To be so in love with a person you didn't know. There didn't seem to be any reason or rhyme. You'd think I would be over the novelty of my newly developed feelings, but if anything they'd gotten stronger.

A soft sigh escaped me as I gazed down upon her, my angel. How long had I been waiting for this? Weeks, a few days, hours? It seemed like such a long time. I hadn't even known that I'd been waiting for it.

I carefully adjusted her as I opened the screened porch door and made my way from the small, mint green kitchen to the living room. I laid her out the shabby couch and after covering her with a quilt from the back of a chair returned to the yard to retrieve the man who had very nearly damaged my one and only.

It was disgusting how many sentimental phrases I'd been using. I'd been reminding myself of the bloodsucker lately.

I didn't know what to do with him, I was fairly certain that Annie wouldn't thank me if he ended up dead, though _I_ wouldn't mind it in the least.

In the end I decided on putting him the room that seemed to be his and jammed the door so he couldn't get out.

Momentarily I wondered if any of the others had awoken as a result of the offenders rather loud return. After opening each door as quietly as I could, and after I was sure none of them were going to be getting up any time soon I made my way back downstairs to try and come up with some kind of explanation that didn't sound completely insane.

I had been sitting on the old carpeted floor for a good twenty minutes before she moved at all and a few moments later she began to sit herself up and rub at her eyes.

The second she saw me her eyes bulged and her mouth opened.

I suppose I should have thought of a more constructive way to keep her quiet, but putting my hand over her mouth was quick and efficient.

"Please don't scream, just listen."

I took a deep breath and began to explain.

* * *

**Annie's POV**

I was bombarded with the most ridiculous tale I had ever heard and yet it was so completely out there that I couldn't help but wonder...

It couldn't possibly be possible. There was no such thing as werewolves and there were no vampires. I might not have been the brightest star in the sky, but I knew that much, right? There was no way I could be wrong about _that_.

I pushed the extremely hot, temperature wise only, strangers hand away from my face and said, "Okay, you don't have to lie like that! It's crazy, it's all crazy!" It took extreme effort to keep my voice down. "I swear not to call the cops if you leave right now!"

"Did you not see what happened less than an hour ago? What was it exactly that made you pass out, huh?"

"I--," How could I answer that? I thought I'd seen a wolf carrying clothing into the woods reappear as a man wearing said clothes. That, however, couldn't be right. "I don't know."

"Your not a very convincing liar ya' know that?" He sighed. "I know someone who's actually a lot like you, I bet you'd be great friends," he cut off suddenly. "Hey! There's an idea!" He dashed into and back out of the kitchen so quickly that it was a wonder I'd even noticed he'd left at all.

He had the cordless with him and was dialing a number at warp-speed.

**

* * *

****Jacob's POV**

This had to be my best idea in a long time.

...ring...ring...ring...ring..."SHIT!" No answer damn it! The one time I try to call my dad to inform him of my whereabouts he sleeps through it. Why, oh why had I broken the answering machine?

"Hey! Be quiet! And don't curse in here, there are innocent children only a few feet away!"

"Sorry." Plan sunk. I needed a knew one. Who could I call that would definitely answer and do what ever I needed them to do?

Oh. Duh.

Though it was late I knew she'd answer and do her best to help.

Suddenly the ringing stopped and a groggy voice said "Hello?"

I nearly shouted for joy, "Bella!"

"Jake?" She was more alert now. "What's happened? Where are you? What's wrong?!"

"Calm yourself vampire-girl, where's your boyfriend?"

She was pissed, "Hunting, what's it to you? Listen Jacob, if you called at this insane hour to gripe and moan I swear I'll hang up and...,"

"Hey, don't go talking about things you don't understand. I need you to go to the rez and wake somebody up. Get my dad, tell him to wake Sam."

"Why?" Of all the times to question me she chooses now.

I truly did not want to tell her. I didn't want my dad to kow if he didn't have too, but Bella was sure to let it slip. I reluctantly muttered, "Imprint, are you happy?"

I heard her gasp on the other line, "Oh Jake, did you really? What's she like? Is she pretty? Where is she, where are you...?"

"Just do what I asked, I'll be waiting for him."

"Okay! I'll go as fast as I can!"

"Don't break the truck, and please try not to hurt yourself."

She huffed and hung up.

"Good 'ol Bella," I grinned at Annie who looked incredulous. "Just wait here for a while okay? Go to sleep or something."

"No, I will not. Your going to tell me truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God. And if you don't..."

I was shaking my head by that point, "I already have! I'll prove it to you eventually. I'd do it now, but I don't want to ruin your father's clothes."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Fine. I'll sleep. But you have to wake me as soon as you do what ever it is your going to do. Alright?"

"Sure, sure."

She laid back down on the couch and shut her eyes. I stayed until her breathing became even, it didn't take long, she must've been exhausted.

**Annie's POV**

There was no way that I could have gone to sleep. I was very good at pretending however and it got him out of the house.

The moment he was gone I sat back up, grabbed the cordless and quickly looked up the number he'd dialed. Who ever this Bella person was she knew what I wanted to know.

**A/N: Gasp! Annie's taking action! Go Annie! If you want to know what happens next, review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Don't Know Why-Nora Jones**

**A/N: There is no excuse for my lack of updates, I am so sorry, you have no idea how upset I've made myself. All I can ask is that you forgive me and continue to read and review my story.**

**Just so you know, I'd totally forgive you if I was reading your story and you didn't update for...four months. I seriously would, and I would also tell you about it in a review. Really.**

**Disclaimer- Guess what? I still don't own the Twilight Saga, how sad is that?**

**Jacob's POV**

As soon as I had stepped outside and run to the forest I discarded the clothing, and changed from human to animal, something I still hadn't gotten used to. It wasn't painful the transformation, but very strange. Some of your bones seemed to grow while others shortened, skin stretched and hair grew. I didn't think it was something I'd ever get used to.

I stood still for a moment on all fours, thinking about what had taken place. I would have never guessed in a million years that I'd imprint on a farmers daughter, or that it would happen just when I didn't want it to. I couldn't seem to make myself regret it though; no matter that I didn't want it, that it was exactly what I'd been trying to avoid. I wouldn't have taken it back for anything.

A cricket chirped and the wind whistled, blowing through my fur. It felt nice, refreshing; it made me relax, something I hadn't done for a long time. I wondered how long it would take Bella to reach the reservation, and I hoped she wouldn't rush it. A quickly moving Bella usually led to quickly forming bruises and while I wanted a plan made as soon as possible I didn't want her hurt.

I should have made more of a point to tell her to be careful, she tended to think more of others than of herself.

Thoughts of Bella naturally led to thoughts of Andrea, she was never far from my mind now, and I wondered what she was like. I wanted to know everything, I wanted to spend hours upon hours talking with her and being with her. I wanted to tell her all about myself and I wanted us to always be together.

And we would; as soon as Billy got his ass out of bed and woke Sam the fuck up.

* * *

**Annie's POV**

The phone rang and with each second I grew more nervous. Why had I done this? Couldn't I have waited, been patient? What had happened to my patience anyway? It seemed to have flown out the window along with my common sense the moment I began to consider the possibility that fairy tales could be true.

The moments passed and I started to hope that maybe she wouldn't answer. She could have been driving already and unable to pick up.

"Jacob, it's only been a couple minutes! I'm not even out the door yet!" she snapped into the phone.

"Uhh, this isn't Jacob. This is Andrea." How incredibly stupid could I be?

There was dead silence on the line for a moment and then, "Are you the...girl?"

"I honestly don't know how to answer that," I muttered.

"Well," she started, "I suppose that makes sense. You must be extremely confused right now, looking for a seemingly sane person to speak with right?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, "I didn't mean to interrupt you or anything but I need a least a few answers. I was wondering..." I trailed off looking for a way to explain myself without sounding completely loopy.

"You were wondering if you had finally lost it and fallen off the deep end?"

I knew that I could be best friends with this girl already, "Yeah, I was actually. Not to sound crazy or anything, but do you happen it know if...werewolves," it was a struggle to get the word out, "are real?" I whispered the last line.

"This is not something easily explained, alright?" I nodded to myself as I listened. "To put it simply, yes they do."

I nearly dropped the phone before I desperately asked, "But how?! How could that be true!? It doesn't make sense, none at all! Not even a little tiny bit!" I needed something to hold on to, just a small bit of reason. Something to connect with. "Give me something please! Just something that I can understand!"

"I'm sorry," she sounded truly upset, "I wish I could be more help, believe me when I say that I understand, to an extent at least. I can't do much but give advice." I sighed, still on the edge of insanity, but tried to pay attention to what she said. "So the first thing you need do is listen to Jacob, he's a hot head, but he does know what he's talking about...well, most of the time. Second, don't jump to conclusions, that is imperative..."

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

It had been only a few minutes but it felt like hours. I was growing extremely impatient, pacing to keep from going insane. I'd never been good with waiting especially when it involved something I perceived as important.

This was as important as it got.

I hated admitting that I didn't know what to do, I didn't want to need help. I preferred to do things for myself my own way. If there had been any chance of that in this situation I would have jumped at it. However it seemed that there was nothing I could do until the rest of the pack became involved; something I'd desperately wanted to avoid.

It was sure to awkward, I'd refused to speak to any of them for the longest time, and ignored them as best I could when they tried to contact me. There were bound to be a few grudge holders, Leah for example would be nearly unbearable. That girl got under my skin like no other, I didn't know how Seth put up with her at home. I couldn't imagine living with the girl.

Aside from my worriers of insane annoyance however, I was excited to hear from my brothers again. It had been a very long time since I'd willingly listened to anything they had to say. I was curious, and wanted to know what they had to say about my imprint. I wanted to hear about the 'latest pack scandal' as Bella had once put it. I wanted to know about life on the rez, though I was fairly sure not much had changed.

My thoughts strayed and I realized how different I had become in the span of a few short hours. A few days ago I'd been about ready to kill myself and now I was looking for a plan to return home. It was amazing what one person could do to you, though I supposed that for werewolves that was in the extreme. It seemed like such a small thing, "Oh hey, I met this girl..." but for us it could mean so much more than a simple crush.

I hadn't wanted this, not at all. I'd been sure that there was no one out there for me, that I would never find anyone as wonderful as Bella, and now I was head-over-heels in love with a girl who had next to nothing and the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen. I couldn't get over how different the world looked now. Grass seemed to be greener, the stars just a bit brighter...

And then I wondered, just where in the hell was I anyway?

I'd thought I was headed for Canada, but this didn't seem like Canada to me, not that I'd ever been there before, but I had a rough idea of it's terrain and it didn't work with where I was. It was too warm here, I'd been sure that I was headed farther north than this seemed to be.

It would be a good idea to find out where I was before trying to explain the situation to Sam.

I sniffed at the dirt but that didn't do any good, there was no reason that I should to be able to differentiate between Canada's dirt and some other places dirt. I didn't know why I'd thought I could in the first place.

I was so fucking stupid sometimes, I hoped Andrea would be able to put with me. I wasn't always the easiest person to get along with.

I sighed as I stood and morphed back into human form, dressing quickly and moving, once again, toward the small house. Maybe I could grab a piece of mail or something...

As I neared the door I noticed voices, well one voice. Andrea's voice. It sounded like she was having a one sided conversation.

"I honestly don't know how to answer that," don't know the answer to what?

It was silent for a moment and then, "...I need a least a few answers..." What in the world was she doing?

"Yeah, I was actually. Not to sound crazy or anything, but do you happen it know if...werewolves," my ears perked at the word and I leaned closer, trying to hear better. Unfortunately the next few words were unidentifiable, even to me.

I wondered just exactly who I had fallen for, maybe she really was crazy. It didn't matter to me, I was fairly sure that I was on the edge too, but it wouldn't be a good precedent to set for any future offspring.

"Give me something please! Just something that I can understand!"

There was a long silence and I wondered if she had finished her 'conversation'. I crept slowly into the house, trying very hard to keep the door from squeaking, it did anyway of course. Just my damn luck.

Andrea poked her head out from around the doorway into the living room looking nervous. I was once again struck by her outrageous perfection. Nothing could possibly compare to her.

Her eyes widened and she bit her lip in the most adorable way, I could have kissed her. That didn't seem like the best idea however and I didn't act on it.

She had the phone, I could see that now, and I could also hear the voice on the other end.

"Andrea? Did you hear me? Never, ever ask a question you don't want answered! Jake can't tell the difference between a rhetorical question and a..."

"That's a lie," I muttered, "I know the difference, I just ignore it." I wondered what else Bella'd been telling Andrea about me.

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

Bella had great insight into the world of the unknown, and if it was actually true then her advice would be beyond useful. She also had a lot to say about Jacob...

"He's dead annoying when he wants to be..." and "Don't take everything he says seriously, it'll save you a lot of trouble..." as well as things like "He can be completely stupid, you have to learn to deal with it."

I'd just decided that I liked her a lot when I heard the door creek. I looked into the kitchen to see Jacob standing there looking at me in a way that I couldn't help but enjoy. It bothered me how much he seemed to care, he didn't know me from Jane Doe after all.

I bit my lip, feeling suddenly nervous, Bella had just said something about Jacobs inability to tell the difference between a serious question and a rhetorical one when he said,

"That's a lie. I know the difference, I just ignore it."

I gasped, how had he heard that? Bella asked, "Andrea? What's wrong?"

"I'll let you go now Bella, _he_ just came back inside." I stressed the 'he' so she'd know who I was talking about.

"Oh, well tell him I'm on my way to La Push then, and I'll see you eventually. 'Bye," she hung up after that.

I stared anxiously at Jacob, wondering if he would upset with me for calling his friend without telling him.

"So," he began, "what'd she tell you? I'll bet she said I was impulsive, and stupid. I'd like to say she was lying, but she wasn't."

I couldn't help but smile, Bella was right about his sense of humor. "She also said that you were annoying."

He nodded, "Yeah, I've told that many times."

Silence filled the room, I glanced at the clock, it was just after 1:30, it felt like so much more time should have passed. I'd had the weirdest day and it wasn't even halfway finished yet. I had the feeling that things could only get stranger from here.

He moved suddenly and I jumped, looking at him. He reached for a piece of mail from the table and looked at it for a moment before saying, "I'm going back out now, alright? I really do think that you should rest."

I snorted, "Like I could sleep even if I wanted too."

He opened his mouth, seemingly getting ready to argue, but changed track and sighed, "Fine, wait for me then, but this could take a while."

I nodded as he dropped the paper and went out the door. I moved to look out the window above the sink, he ran so quickly that he was out of sight before I had time to blink.

After sitting down I put my head in my hands and tried very hard to keep it together. Then one of the twins began to cry. I was grateful for the change of pace, this was something I was used to. Normal, everyday life.

I remembered when I wanted more, wanted something else. When I had wished for excitement.

Suddenly the phrase, 'Be careful what you wish for' made more sense to me than it ever had before. I wondered who had coined it, and what it was they had wished for and received. It couldn't have possibly been anything like what I was going through, but I felt a connection to that unknown person.

It was April who had woken, and June was standing in her crib watching the scene. I took them both downstairs with me. I needed the company.

After I'd opened the playpen and tossed in a couple of odd toys they were content to play with each other quietly. I sat on the couch watching them; they had no idea that big sister Annie was now in way over her head. They didn't know about werewolves, or vampires. They weren't bothered by the fact that a gigantic wolf was lurking somewhere in the woods waiting for contact from his mind-reading friends.

Ignorance was truly bliss and how I longed to be ignorant.

**A/N: I recently rediscovered a CD; a Dreamstreet CD. It Happens Every Time has officially become my summer song. I found it under my bed in a box along with some other stuff. Just thought you'd like to know.**

**Another song I think you should love is Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. It's so beautiful it makes me cry. That is my Twilight theme song.**

**And wow, I was just re-reading the other chapters and there are sooo many little mistakes, I think I'll go back and fix those. You don't have to re-read or anything, but I can't stand leaving them there.**

**Review if you forgive me.**


	8. Chapter 8

****

So Much To Say-Dave Matthews Band

**A/N: It's only been about 2 hours since I update again, so here I go on another chapter! Monster's Inc. is on Disney now, so I'm a little distracted.**

**Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Jacob Black, or the rest of Stephenie Meyers wonderful characters I sure wish I did though...I could quit school!**

**Annie's POV**

I smiled as I tucked June under her blanket, she and April had lasted only twenty minutes before falling back to sleep in the playpen. I'd waited another ten before moving them one at a time to the bedroom. They felt so much heavier asleep!

After quietly swinging the door so that it stood halfway open, I tiptoed down the hall to my father's room. I pressed my ear against the door, listening for any sounds that might have been coming from within. I heard nothing.

I stepped away and moved toward the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and sat down on the closed toilet seat. I still could not believe what had happened. He'd nearly hit me; my own father had tired to cause me harm simply for the sake of upsetting me. I realized now what had happened of course. He'd been out drinking, and come home completely out of it. That was no excuse, but at least I could understand his rational, or lack thereof.

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't possibly leave the others in his care, but I couldn't stay in this house any longer. There were too many memories here of what had been. Of my mother giving us kisses and hugs and making dinner. Of our family picnics and outings. Of things that had happened, but would never again be.

I'd thought about it before, and normally I dismissed the idea as soon as it entered my mind. How could I leave my father when he need me so badly? He'd just lost my mother, his wife, I didn't think he'd be able to stand losing me as well.

Now however I was beginning to question just exactly how much he truly needed me. Was I to become his outlet? Would he try to hit me again? If he did then what? I wasn't strong enough to stop him I knew that. I couldn't protect myself, or fight him off; he was much bigger than I was.

And if not me then who? Samantha, or John maybe? It wouldn't stop, things like this never did. If he couldn't get to one of us he'd try for another. I couldn't let that happen. He was my family, but so were they. He was an adult and completely responsible for his own actions, the others were still only children. I would not allow any harm to come to them. In the end I was sure that it would be best for everyone; not only would I be protecting the children, but I'd be protecting my father from causing himself more damage. I knew that he loved us, and that he would never forgive himself if he hurt any one of us.

That was when the tears came, I just couldn't hold them back any longer. I was alone now, in the bathroom. There was no one to see, no one to watch as I went to pieces. No one would hear as I choked back sobs and tired to keep quiet. No one would ever know just how hurt I really was.

Thinking of my father and his pain only upset me more. I didn't want to be the cause of it. I didn't want to have it forever hanging over my head that I'd made things worse.

But sometimes things had to get worse before they could get better. I had the feeling that this was one of those times, and the thought brought me no solace, only more weeping and discomfort.

* * *

I washed my face with a cleanser and hoped that my nose would soon return to it's natural slightly tanned color. The red was fading from my eyes but they were still puffy and they stung. It hurt to keep them open.

I'd cried for a good fifteen minutes and I still felt awful. I comforted myself with the knowledge that I was not the only person to endure a situation like this. There were many broken homes out there, and while that in itself was upsetting it was also a comfort to know that I wasn't alone.

Somewhere out there was someone who had it a lot worse than I did. I had to keep reminding myself that of that. It could have been a thousand times worse than it was. At least I was able to recognize the signs before anything dire had happened. Of course without Jacob...

I gasped; I'd forgotten about him. That was right though, without him I would have been hit, maybe more. I might not have had the chance to make the decision I had.

I sank onto the cold linoleum floor and rested my head against the wall, closing my eyes. I owed him. I owed him a lot, that boy. Or...werewolf, whatever he really was. I still wasn't sure about that.

Many things had happened to me, 'when it rains it pours' as they said. Everything was taking place at once. The stuff of nightmares was apparently real and I was living in my own bad dream as the 'truth' was revealed to me.

"Werewolves and vampires, pah!" I scoffed. It was utterly impossible, at least it had been until a few short hours ago. Now I wasn't so sure, there had been too many strange occurrences for them to all be mere coincidence.

I tried to think of it objectively, what exactly had gone on? I'd seen a wolf the size of a bear run off with my fathers clothing and then watched as a man, or boy, had emerged from the forest seemingly wearing the same clothes.

I'd had a conversation with a girl who was apparently in the know and told me that what Jacob said was true. She'd seemed sane enough over the phone, but what did that mean really? I didn't know her, she could have been...

I stopped my thoughts, when I second guessed myself I usually ended up being wrong. I'd recently decided to go with the first instinct, to trust my intuition after an incident involving the chickens. However this was a completely different situation and those feelings were conflicting. I didn't believe for one moment that werewolves were real, yet at the same time I felt that I could trust Bella to tell me the truth about anything.

So where did that leave me? Right back where I'd started of course, at square one. The place I'd been hopping to get away from, and I had a few more questions than I'd started with.

That attempted moment of insight had been no help at all. I noted that you couldn't force an epiphany.

* * *

I left the bathroom and checked on my father, once again pressing my ear to the door. There were still no signs of life; no sound, I wondered briefly if he'd died but disregarded the idea almost immediately. He was probably sleeping off the alcohol.

I made my way back downstairs and looked out the kitchen window. I couldn't see anything, it was pitch black.

I chewed on my lip before shrugging and going outside to sit on the porch steps. There wasn't anything wrong with sitting in front of my own house. I was a little uneasy though, the notion that somewhere out there, a mammoth russet colored wolf was roaming the land left me feeling anxious.

It was nearly impossible to make anything out, clouds had been rolling in all afternoon and now the moon and stars were completely obscured. If I'd tried to leave the porch I was sure that I wouldn't have gotten anywhere, I couldn't have seen my hand if it was three inches in front of my face.

The darkness felt oppressive, I didn't like not being able to see even two feet in front of myself, and at the same time it seemed like some kind of metaphor in relation to my current life situation. I was at a crossroads, I was sure of that. I was also sure that I had an extremely important decision to make, one that would impact my life in more ways than one. The problem was that I didn't even know what it was I was choosing between. I couldn't see either path, and how could I possibly choose what I couldn't see?

I'd have to wait, I decided, until at least the stars were visible again. I needed at least a little bit of light to see and then I could figure out what exactly it was I planned to do.

I just hopped that illumination was close at hand.

* * *

I returned to the living room, the little red digital clock told me that it was nearly three in the morning. I'd need to be 'awake' in two hours to start making breakfast for everyone...and Jacob too. I could do that much for him.

It was strange, I'd gone from being completely on edge regarding him and now I thinking about inviting him into my house to eat my food with my family. Life had truly gotten out of control. I didn't like that.

I sat on the couch and thought about what I would make for breakfast. Eggs definitely, and toast too...

I wondered almost unconsciously what werewolves ate, and then suddenly the stars appeared before me, in a metaphorical sense of course. I knew what it was I needed to choose, and I knew that I was going to have a hard time doing it; I didn't know what the outcome would be of either possible road. But they were there, clear as day in front of me.

I could almost see them, neither of them paved, and both full of bumps and rocks. Neither easy, and I couldn't tell which one would bring happiness. I didn't know which would be the safest for myself and my family.

What I did know was that I needed to make a decision, and soon. Before breakfast.

**A/N: This chapter became Annie's, it was an accident actually, but she felt that she needed some time to herself. **

**I hope you loved it, and I hope you appreciate that it is now after 1 o'clock in the morning and I've been up writing this chapter. I'll probably start on the next one; I think that I may need some motivation though...Gee, I wonder how you could do that?**

**Let me know if you find any serious errors please.**


	9. Chapter 9

**The Great Escape- Angels and Airwaves**

**Disclaimer- Naw, I don't own Twilight...y'all.**

**Jacob's POV**

It was incredibly dark outside, I couldn't see the stars and that was a bit depressing. It reminded me of home, and now that I was out of my hole I wanted to be there. As long as I could take Andrea with me of course.

That however presented quite a few problems.

I needed to be productive while I waited for Sam, and trying to figure out how this could take place at all was something that had to be done.

I couldn't run her to La Push, obviously. So we needed transportation; for at least eight because I was fairly sure that she would be against leaving her brothers and sisters behind. That meant we needed money, something I didn't have.

It upset me that I couldn't take care of this on my own. I didn't want to burden her, it was going to be hard enough leaving her childhood home behind.

We'd also need somewhere for them all to stay. No one in La Push had that kind of room, and I didn't want to be away from her unless it was necessary.

I sighed, I hated how involved everything had to be. I wanted to make one simple decision and a million other things popped up to get in the way. I just wanted to be with her for God's sake, that was all I wanted. I didn't want it to be a big thing, I didn't want to uproot her family. I wanted it to be as painless as possible for everyone concerned.

It didn't seem that it would be that way, there were too many other things going on...

Like Bella's wedding; those bloodsuckers would be leaving soon. That would leave a huge house without an occupant.

I hated the idea, and I cursed myself for thinking of it. I wouldn't be able to hide it from Sam and though I knew he wouldn't like it he was nothing if not practical. He would consider it, look at it from every angle and I knew what he would decide; that it could happen.

He would go and do what I didn't want him to do, what none of us wanted him to do. He would go and ask them for _help_. It was degrading, incredibly degrading and the worst kind of offense. It didn't matter that they owed us, we hated the very smell of them. It was low and I did not want it to happen.

I glared up at tree tops, seething. My rage was directed at only one person. Bella's bloodsucker. None of this would have happened if not for him. If he had just stayed away...

But I knew that while it would have saved a whole mess of trouble I _couldn't_ want things to be different between Bella and I. What had been was old news, it may as well never have happened in the first place. Bella was the slightly darkened past and Andrea was the bright, shinning future.

Thinking of her brought me some peace. Knowing that soon she would be safe from her almost abusive father was a comfort. I wondered if he'd wakened yet, and what he would do when he did.

He'd find a dirty, smelly wolf by his door and try to shoot it was what he'd do. The bullets would do nothing of course, I was too strong for that to cause any damage. He'd be stunned, and then the wolf would pounce at him and once again knock him unconscious.

I smiled to myself as I thought of that.

* * *

It was so quiet and very subdued, I began feeling lethargic. I was tired, too much had happened and too much was still to come.

I closed my eyes for what seemed like a moment and when I reopened them nothing seemed to have changed. It was still black, still silent. I stretched my legs and rolled to my side, a breeze blew through my fur, cooling me slightly. It was nice out here, a little too hot, but nice all the same.

I found that I couldn't concentrate on any one thing long enough for it to make much sense. I didn't mind, and soon I was drifting in and out of consciousness.

* * *

My thoughts were a jumble of unconnected words, colors, and scents. I could smell Andrea, it was like the earth after a rain shower. Fresh and clean and wonderful. And I could see a cliff, the waves crashed against the rocks in a steady beat; spraying water twenty feet into the air. The ocean was purple, the sky orange...it didn't make sense but that didn't matter. It was only a dream.

I heard strange sounds, like I was trying to listen to a radio but the static interfered with the voices. It was nothing but a quiet hum in the background and it didn't wake me.

The scene changed slightly, white birds erupted in a mass, coming from the ocean. I followed them with my eyes, watching as they circled above me and headed off toward the woods. They didn't seem to be bothered by the lacy green clouds that were floating fairly low to the ground. I would have been, I thought, I would've landed until they'd passed.

It started to rain then, and I knew that have to go inside before it got too hard, I wondered idly where exactly inside _was_. I hadn't seen any kind of shelter. Then I noticed the small house a ways down, on the beach with the blue sand. Of course it was mine, I couldn't believe I'd forgotten it was there.

I started walking toward it, and was at the front door before I'd taken three steps, it wasn't strange though; it had always been like that.

When I reached for the door it opened on it's own, and I saw my Annie, she was waiting for me. She complained that I'd get everything wet and made me wait in the hall until she'd gotten a towel.

Things stated to fade then, the last thing I remembered before waking up was Andrea trying very hard to push me back out the door with the towel so I wouldn't drip on the carpet.

As I opened my eyes I realized that someone was calling my name, rather loudly too. It was fucking annoying.

* * *

_**Jacob! Jacob you idiot, I've been trying to wake you for five minutes. What in the hell happened?!**_

It was Sam, no wonder it got on my nerves. I was surprised by his tone of voice, he was usually much calmer than this. Then again it was late, or early, or whichever.

_**Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to keep the commander in chief waiting.**_

I felt his annoyance, _**Funny, really it was. Well, let me have it.**_ So I did. I let him see everything, my arrival, our first meeting, her father's nearly fatal mistake, everything. Even my thoughts on the housing situation, though it wasn't like I could have hidden them or anything.

_**I don't want you to do it.**_ I told him as I finished, _**I don't want to drag the bloodsuckers into it. This **__**has nothing to do with them.**_

_**I know you don't, and of course neither do I. The other's won't be happy about it either, but I can't see any other solutions at this point. I promise you that I will try to find something else, but the out look isn't the best. **_I accepted that; I would do whatever I had to, to get Andrea away from this place, even if it meant conversing with bloodsuckers. _**In the mean time, just hang tight. I want you to phase every twenty minutes, just to check in. And keep watch over your girl, the others are going to go haywire when they find out...**_He was laughing at me. The damn hypocrite.

_**I'm leaving now, don't count on the every twenty minute thing either, you son of a bitch.**_

He found my anger amusing did he? Well I'd let him have it when I got back, Embry would back me up. Quil too if it came to that.

I phased and began the trek back to the house, I was about halfway there when I noticed a breeze. I morphed again and ran back to the forest, found the clothes changed and dressed.

I rolled my eyes at myself. I really hopped Andrea had a lot of patience.

**A/N: I'm kinda disappointed by the extreme lack of reviews for the last chapter, but then again only four people have seen it at this point; which is unsurprising as I posted it at 1:30 am. and it got pushed off the main page fairly quickly. I hope more people see this and please...**

**REVIEW!! Or I won't update. I mean it, seriously. Really. Do it.**


	10. Chapter 10

**After Tonight- Justin Nozuka**

**Disclaimer- I'm so excited! I own the rights to the Twilight Saga! I totally bought them on Ebay...just kidding guys, don't freak out.**

**Annie's POV**

I wasn't looking forward to it, I wanted time to slow down so I could have time to get used to the idea. It didn't of course, time stops for no man and all that.

My life had taken an alarming turn toward the unknown. There was no telling what would happen an hour from now, much less a week. It was impossible, but sometimes the impossible was the only alternative. I wondered if I had somehow slipped into some kind of new reality; had the universe been compromised?

I snorted, that was even less likely than what I was now considering.

It was getting harder to keep the thoughts back, they would soon be flowing freely into my mind. I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted it to all go away, to go back to the way it had been.

I wondered if I could have done anything to prevent it; had I missed something? Somehow I didn't think so, I seemed to almost instinctively know that it would have been this way no matter what I'd tried.

I sort of blamed Jacob, even though I knew it wasn't fair. If he hadn't shown up here I would still be in the dark about all that supernatural junk. Life would have continued on it's natural course and I would have far fewer problems than I did now. However, the problems I had now almost seemed inconsequential when I thought about what could have been.

If not for Jacob my father would have returned home an angry drunk and physically took said anger out upon myself. I couldn't even begin to imagine the emotional pain, knowing what our family had once been like. I didn't know what exactly would have happened, and I never would.

Things happened the way they happened because that was the way they were suppose to happen; Jacob had entered my life for a reason, and now I was ready to find out what that reason was.

* * *

I waited patiently for his return and cleaned the kitchen while doing so. My emotions needed an outlet and cleaning took away a bit of the stress I was feeling. I went over the counter tops with a home made vinegar cleaner. It smelled horrible but it got the job done.

Ten minutes later, with my hair pulled back, I was on the floor with a toothbrush. My father's, it gave me a sense of reparation, as soon as this thing was done with the floor it was going right back into the bathroom.

I was surprised at myself, I wasn't usually a grudge holder. I'd had too much experience dealing with petty arguments to let many things get to me; this however was much more than a mere argument.

I'd redirected my anger, instead of holding Jacob responsible my father was now taking the blame. I had decided that he was the one who deserved my rage. Not that it was really rage, more of an extreme indignation I'd say. But then again my judgment may have been clouded, so I couldn't rely on my analysis without wondering if I was being fair or not.

In the end though I supposed that it didn't matter. I wouldn't be sticking around much longer anyway.

I stood and carefully examined the floor, it was spotless, just as I'd wanted it. It almost sparkled, at least I'd done something constructive with my time.

And then Jacob walked in, he was muddy and he was about to get it all over my freshly cleaned floor; that was not going to happen.

"Jacob!" I shouted, he looked at me startled. I must've been a sight, my pants rolled up to my knees, hair a mess and checkered shirt all dirty. If I hadn't been so worried about the floor I would've been embarrassed. "Don't you dare move," he was still on the mat in front of the door, "I just spent at least an hour cleaning this floor and if you think for one second that..."

**

* * *

**

Jacob's POV

"Jacob!" she shouted, I didn't know what I could have done, I'd only just walked in. "Don't you dare move. I just spent at least an hour cleaning this floor and if you think for one second that..."

It was scary how much this reminded me of my recent dream. It was very strange, I wondered if had some kind of future seeing ability, then again it could have just been a fluke.

I allowed my eyes and mind to wander, she was unbearably cute. Pieces of her blue-black hair were escaping a hair tie and she was barefoot. Her jeans were rolled up to her knees and the first few buttons of her red and white checkered shirt were undone. She was very pink in the face. I could definitely get used to seeing her that way.

"...stay right there! I will be back, don't move an inch, I will kill you slowly and painfully if you mess up my floor." She left the room then and I looked around. She'd done a good job of cleaning, Billy could use her help, the old man didn't even know how to dust, then again neither did I. That would explain the state of our house; the dust never seemed to settle there.

She barreled back into the room at high speed with a towel, it really was getting creepy. "Here," she was out of breath, "Go outside on the porch and clean yourself off. Don't come back until it's all gone."

I didn't argue, I didn't want to be there just then anyway; I was starting to feel weird and I didn't want any more of my dream to make an appearance in reality.

Outside again. I scraped off as much mud as I could before opening the door and letting myself back in; she was there waiting for me. After inspection I was allowed to cross the room.

"In less than an hour I need to start making breakfast, you need to stay out of the way and try not to alarm the children. Can you do that?"

I'd known that she didn't trust me but I hadn't expected it to actually caused me physical pain. Knowing that she still hadn't accepted me was like being dragged across hot coals. I wanted nothing more than to please her and she just wanted me out of the way.

I hadn't realized that I'd been looking at the floor until she sighed, taking my attention. "I'm not trying to get rid of you or anything, you know that right? But your too big for my kitchen, so go away!" Her smile left me reeling.

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

He had a dazed look in his eye as he wandered into the living room. I had a feeling that would I be seeing more of his odd expressions as the days wore on. I was almost looking forward to it. Almost.

I would have liked, maybe even enjoyed his attention under nearly any other circumstances. In truth he hadn't actually said all that much to me, it was more of the feeling he gave off. I couldn't begin describe it. So maybe I was completely wrong about how he felt, but I didn't think I was.

After taking out all of our eggs and toasting one whole loaf of bread I got out the sausage and the bacon. Cereal too, John preferred it. It seemed to me that Jacob could probably have eaten all this on his own, he was so big.

I scrambled the eggs all together in a big green bowl before pouring it in small increments into the one of the frying pans. I put the sausage in the microwave and laid the bacon out in another pan.

While the food was cooking I got out plates, regular cups, sippy-cups, silverware and a lot of napkins. We always seemed to need more napkins.

Samantha was the first to arrive downstairs, she of course noticed Jacob. Life just couldn't be easy for me.

She'd caught him out of the corner of her eye as she was rounding the corner from the downstairs bedroom to the kitchen. She looked at me quickly, clearly alarmed, and I put my hand over my mouth as a signal to keep quite and motioned for her to come over to the stove.

"Move the next batch of eggs in will you?" I was trying to act as though nothing out of the ordinary was occurring. No, there was nothing unusual very big Indian boy/man sitting on our couch.

She was having none of that, "Yeah, I'll do that, and you can tell me why some random guy is in our house. What'd you do? Who is he?!" she waved her arms wildly toward the open entry way between the two rooms.

"I can't exactly explain that to you Sammy, see our family is having some serious issues right now and I don't think you want to know about them."

She stared at me in disbelief; I'd never refused to tell her anything before. She was the oldest after myself, and we were close. Closer than close.

Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she decided to let it go, nodding at me wordlessly and putting some of the finished eggs on everyone's plate.

**

* * *

**

Jacob's POV

I could hear the two of them hissing in the kitchen; Andrea refused to talk about what was happening. I wondered if that was because she was still unsure about the situation. I wished that she would at least consider what I'd told her. Though it had been hard to accept for myself, and I'd heard all the stories since I was a child; I could only imagine what she was thinking.

Thoughts of her thoughts led to thoughts of my own and what it was she'd heard from them. I didn't understand how it was possible. Emily didn't hear Sam's mind when he'd phased, though he wished many times that she could; nor could Kim hear Jared. I wondered if my assessment of what I felt for her in the very beginning had been right. Maybe what we had _was_ stronger than what the others had. Or different at the very least.

Sam hadn't commented on that slightly unnerving experience and that was surprising when I thought about it. Though I supposed that it could be dealt with after I made it back to La Push. He'd probably wanted to get the simple things settled before moving on to the more complex questions.

The simple things, like where they were all going to stay, and how we would get Washington. I was almost positive the bloodsuckers would let them take the house, they were never coming back for it anyway. The reason for that, while it still made my blood run cold, didn't produce the emotional response it once had. The idea would always make me sick, but not in quite the same way. I didn't want Bella to die, but only because she was my friend, one that I dearly loved. I would never have wished for things to be going down the road for her the way they were but I could accept that it was what she wanted now. That made everything a hell of a lot easier to deal with.

I could hear a pair of feet making it's way down the stairs, it stumbled occasionally and then stopped completely. I heard a 'thump, thump, thump' as who ever it was continued down in an unconventional way.

Andrea came through then and gave me a small smile, sending my heart into overdrive. My eyes followed her until she was once again out of sight. Though I couldn't see her, I could hear her,

"James," she whispered, "Your going to wake up the babies." All was quiet for a moment and then she and the little boy I'd seen run into the barn the other day came back through. If the child saw me he didn't comment on it.

I sat alone for the next ten minutes before standing and quietly letting myself out the front door and sitting down on the unpaved driveway. I wasn't wanted, that much was obvious, and it hurt in more ways than I could describe.

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

While Samantha was helping James eat I went upstairs to get the twins. After a double take I realized the living room was empty; I wondered where Jacob had gone. Did he not want to eat with us? Maybe werewolves ate things like road kill. How was I to know?

I tried not to take his abrupt disappearance as an insult, but it wasn't working. He could have at least told me that he didn't want to be here while we ate.

I shook my head and went upstairs, after making sure that John was at least awake I grabbed the twins and took them downstairs.

After they were all, with the exception of John, settled at the table I told Samantha to start without me.

"I have to go and...check something outside."

She rolled her eyes at me and said, "Sure you do."

I went back out to the living room and pulled back the curtain on the window next to the door. I could see him, his hulking frame appeared to be fairly close to the ground. It looked like he was sitting down.

Pushing the creeky door open I stepped out into the cool morning air. "It looks like it might rain," I said, trying to start a conversation. "I hope not, that makes everything so much harder with the chickens. Not that I have to worry about it, I'm inside today. John has to deal with the chickens, Sammy and I are switching, she thinks I'm having a mental breakdown. Maybe shes right, maybe I am, I don't know anymore..."

He let out a loud sigh, interrupting me. "Would you please tell me why it was you came out here?"

My eyes narrowed, "Hey buddy, your the one who left without saying anything. If you didn't want to eat with us you could've said so."

A snort escaped him, "I left because I wasn't wanted."

That surprised me, "What do you mean you weren't wanted? Who said that? Was it because of Sam? Because if it was then ignore her. I..."

"No Andrea," when he said my name I shivered, and no matter how I tried to lie to myself I knew that it wasn't because of the breeze. "I came out here because _you_ didn't want me. You don't have to try to make me feel better by lying. I understand, it's a hard thing to accept."

I was moving from annoyed to angry rapidly, this boy could get under my skin like no one else. I didn't like how he affected me; I'd never switched emotions so quickly before, not even when it was _that_ time of the month did I experience these kinds of mood swings. "Hard to accept, huh? I won't lie, it wasn't easy, but it's sort of hard to ignore whats staring you in the face."

He frowned up at me, "What do you mean?"

I took and deep breath and let it all out, "Ibelieveyouaboutthewerewolfstuff."

"You what? I may have super hearing but it doesn't help if you rush through a sentence like that."

Lips pursed, hands on my hips, and eyes looking anywhere but directly at him I spoke slowly and clearly, "I said that I believe you."

**A/N: First let me say thank you so much to those who reviewed, I love you! Next let me say shame on you to those who didn't review! I forgive you, but I want you to all review. I think I will wait a few days between posts, it takes pressure of me and gives more people the chance read and review.**

**Review if you're a nice, good, wonderful, smart, funny person...yes if you don't review you aren't a nice, good, wonderful, smart, funny person. So you had better do it.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Viva La Vida- Coldplay **

**Disclaimer- So in the last chapter I told you guys that I was kidding, but I _totally _did buy it on Ebay! But guess what? It's so sad, I just found out that my Ebay purchase was a fake! Well, there goes 50 cents down the drain...**

**Annie's POV**

It had been a few days since that fateful night, when I'd confessed my new found beliefs to Jacob. Many things had happened since then.

My father had awoken twice during the day that passed after my confession. I'd put Jacob to work cleaning the bathroom and he heard my parental unit moving around in the bedroom. Apparently, in an act of self defense, Jacob 'accidentally' knocked him out again. I didn't believe that for one minute, but what could I do? I hadn't been there to witness anything but Jacob jamming the door shut again.

However I was there for the second awakening. He was being very loud and Jacob and gone to the woods, I didn't ask why; I may have accepted his story but I wasn't ready for the particulars. I'd been putting the twins down for a nap when I heard his first shout. All was silent for the next few minutes so I returned to cleaning the living room.

His next yell was louder than the last. I was afraid he'd wake the babies, so I returned to the second floor. I wasn't expecting him to have left his room and apparently he hadn't been expecting to see me either. He stopped his ranting for a moment and just stared at me. It wasn't at all nice.

Maybe it was the look of rage in his red, bleary eyes, or the way he seemed to be slightly off balance and swaying. I wasn't sure but something told me that I needed to get away from him. So I did, I bolted for the stairs.

I was not expecting him to push me, he was my father after all. As I tumbled downward a few brief thoughts flashed through my mind. I wondered why this was happening and what I should expect to come next. Would there be a lot of pain? I hoped not, I wasn't much of a masochist and I wasn't thrilled with the idea of being hurt.

As it happened I didn't get the chance to find out. Something I was sure I'd be forever grateful for.

I was lying at the bottom of the stairs, dazed and very confused, when I heard a door open with a BANG!, it was of course Jacob. After hauling me out of the way he and my father exchanged some...words. Many that I would never have allowed myself to even think in private. I was a bit out of it while all that was going on, and nothing really stuck with me. I remembered worrying about the twins, and wondering if I had any bruises.

The only thing that really stood out in my mind was Jacob literally throwing my father out of the house. I'd forced myself up and run to the window to be sure that no one was around.

Samantha was, of course. She saw the end of the 'argument'. I explained what I could, and left out what I couldn't. Basically I told her everything about the recent family problems, leaving out anything that had to do with the supernatural. All she knew of Jacob was that he'd stepped in at the right time.

It wasn't a lie exactly, just not the whole story...

With a sigh I shook my head at myself and went back to scrubbing the dishes. It was hard to concentrate on the task at hand when so many things had happened. Especially with Mr. Tall Dark and sometimes Fury standing next to me drying.

"What are you thinking?"

I'd recently come to the conclusion that it was better to tell Jacob the truth when he asked a question. I was sure he come somehow tell when I was lying or holding back my thoughts. And while I wasn't sure I liked it, I also wasn't sure that I didn't. That was something that worried me.

"I was wondering where he went." I didn't need to elaborate, Jacob always seemed to know what I was talking about.

He was quiet for a moment. "Does it matter? I mean, in the long run?"

"No, I suppose not. I just can't help it I guess." It didn't matter really, we'd be gone as soon as we could. After my father had jumped in the car and Jacob had gotten over his anger I'd casually brought up the subject of leaving this hell hole.

Alright, so at the time I may have been more hysterical than casual, but I got my point across regardless.

As it turned out Jacob had been thinking the same thing, and planning by the sound of it. He expected to have us out by the end of the week, assuming that we were able to dig up enough money to get to Washington.

That was something else I'd learned, I knew where he'd come from now. Jacob was a Quileute Indian and had until very recently lived on a reservation near a town called Forks. As I understood it they were descended from wolves or something like that. It didn't make much sense to me and I doubted that it ever would.

"Well don't worry about it, he's an adult and all that. He should be able to take care of himself." I just barely caught what he mumbled next. "The bastard."

My eyes rolled on their own accord."Very tactful Jacob, very discreet."

He shrugged and held out his hand for the next plate.

**

* * *

**

Jacob's POV

The past few days had been fairly quiet. No crazy drunk guys, no fights...I wondered if things would stay this peaceful. I doubted it, but it was nice to dream.

There were still a few problems that had to be worked out; like how we were going to get the money to make it to Washington. Transportation hadn't posed as big a question as I'd thought it would. As it turned out there was a van being kept behind the barn. According to Andrea it was old but didn't have any problems. It was a gas guzzler though, and prices were up.

We needed cash.

When I'd last spoken to Andrea about it she'd seemed resigned. I was still wondering what it was she planned to do. When I'd asked the day before she'd only tell me that she had to talk to Samantha about it before anything became concrete.

The housing situation was taken care of. Sam had told me that, as expected, the bloodsuckers had offered up their house. While it was a relief to have that settled, it still left me feeling indebted. I hated that. I could put up with it, but only because my Annie was involved.

There was something else though. Something Sam had tried very hard to keep from me. It had worked, I didn't know what we'd had to give in return. Whatever it was I was sure to throw a fit when I learned about it.

I wondered how long it would be before they were out. The furniture was being left behind, they'd already set up in Alaska. The wedding had come and gone, I'd missed it. Not to much of a loss for me but I did wonder if Bella had been at all upset. I hoped not, though I was still completely against who she'd chosen it was after all her wedding day.

That was beside the point. What mattered right at that very second was finishing the dishes. I'd learned that in this household it was imperative that you stay on task. Focus on what was being done right then and once that was finished move on and don't look back.

"Here, this is the last one." I took the final fork and dried it with a sigh of relief. I couldn't imagine what doing the laundry would be like, and I never wanted to find out. If, however, Andrea asked me to do it I would in a heartbeat.

I hadn't had a chance to show her how devoted I was. Too much had happened and now that there seemed to be a lull in the excitement I looked forward to proving and explaining my feelings. I could only speculate on how she'd react.

All that would have to wait though, until we had a decent plan regarding our soon to take place road trip.

"What do think we should do?" The dishes had all been put away and everyone else was outside. We were the only ones in the house, it seemed like the safest time to talk about the as of yet nonexistent plan.

She let out a sigh. "Well, I'm going to town tomorrow, like I normally would. Instead of selling eggs and such however I will be selling the cows, chickens, and horses."

I thought about that for a moment and then asked if she was sure.

"It's the only way that makes sense. We couldn't just leave them all here with no one to take care of them anyway. Who knows how long it will be before _he_ comes back?"

I stood around waiting for orders for a few minutes, when she didn't say anything more I went outside to contact Sam. He'd be glad that he didn't need to figure this out too.

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

The next day came much to quickly. I wasn't at all looking forward to selling my friends. They were more than just animals to me.

I was also extremely wary of leaving Jacob at the house with everyone else. I'd made Sammy promise to keep her thoughts to herself but I wasn't sure if she'd meant it or not. It was hard to tell with her sometimes.

It didn't take nearly as long as I'd expected it would. There were a great many people whom our family knew at the market center that day and once I'd sort of explained the situation the animals went quickly. I didn't go into detail but it seemed that no one had any suspicions that I was lying.

All the animals would be picked up and paid for the following day at our farm.

I was sniffling when I returned home; that had to have been one of the hardest things I'd ever done. I would truly miss Annabell Old Cow. She'd been on the farm for as long as I could remember.

Jacob was leaning against the kitchen counter looking amused when I entered, the smile dropped off his face when he saw me. "What's wrong?" he demanded.

"Nothing," I muttered. "It's stupid."

He shook his head as he moved to stand closer to me. "It's upsetting you. It isn't stupid, tell me what happened." His voice was soft.

I took a deep breath. "It's just...I know the people who are going to take them, and they'll give them all nice homes! I know they will, they'll have a bigger barn and more land and everything! They'll be very happy, but I can't help.." a few tears leaked out, and for a moment I hopped that Jacob hadn't seen. Then he crushed me to him to a hug. I noticed his smell then, musky and strong. It reminded me of a burning fire.

For once I didn't mind his closeness, I'd needed a hug anyway. He'd just gotten there first.

* * *

We left in the afternoon the next day, after the cows and chickens and horses had been taken to their new homes. I'd said my goodbyes to Annabell in the morning and she seemed to understand that she was leaving. I explained to her that she would have a wonderful new barn with lots of space to roam around. I also told her that it was all for her own good and that she'd be better off if she just forgot all about me.

So I was a little sentimental, that cow had known me forever! It felt that way at least. I was very sad as I watched the Vulers drive off with not just Annabell but the rest of the cows too.

I hid it fairly well, nobody but Jacob noticed that there was anything wrong. I wondered if I'd ever be able to hide my emotions from him. He was turning out to be very preceptive.

"You know it had to be done."

"Yes, Jacob I know," and that was all that was said on the subject before we all piled into the van, just barely fitting us and the few things we were bringing along for the ride.

**A/N: So, right now the average number of reviews per-chapter is 3.2, I'd like to have it at... at least 5 each. Seriously dudes, I don't think it should be hard to do.**

**You know what would be flippin' awesome? If everyone who read this chapter reviewed it too...**


	12. Chapter 12

**Why Don't You and I- Santana ft Alex Band (of The Calling)**

**Disclaimer- So, yeah. You all know that I'm not Stephenie Meyer, do I even need to put this up here?**

**Jacob's POV**

The ride had tested my patience. How could I have possibly known that three kids under the age of five could be so annoying? I wasn't sure that it was even possible to be as loud as they had been. I swore that they'd broken the sound barrier!

If not for Andrea I was sure that I would have gone crazy. She was able to keep them, mostly, under control. It was a very long trip both emotionally and mentally. I'd almost phased twice.

She'd seemed to notice that something was wrong each time and had ordered me to 'calm down'. Luckily I listened to Annie like I listened to Sam, only voluntarily as opposed to being forced to comply.

I'd checked in seven times over the journey. Whenever we pulled into one of the off-the-highway rest stops I'd take off. Sam was still keeping the details surrounding the bargain a secret and I had yet to hear from any of my other brothers. I assumed that they were still under orders to keep quiet. And as much as I wanted to hear from them, it was a big relief to know that I didn't have to worry about their sarcastic comments.

That was one thing I wasn't looking forward to, the guys and their jokes. I was sure that they knew all about it by now and they'd had plenty of time to come up with some good ones. I wasn't worried about it exactly, in fact I was itching to get into a fight. I just didn't want to expose Andrea to their...insensitive behavior. It would reflect badly upon me.

We were almost there now, closing in on Forks. It wouldn't be long before we could all sleep properly again. I was definitely looking forward to it. A bed of my own.

Annie had made me sleep on the floor in each of the motel rooms. Abigail, Samantha, and she had shared a bed, while John and James took the other. The babies had a portable playpen.

What I'd really wanted to do was sleep with her, however I wasn't so dense as to let her know it. She would have killed me if I'd tried. I was sure that sleeping in the same bed as myself wasn't high on her list of 'things to do'. I'd have to change that.

It had been interesting to say the least; watching how they acted together, how they got along. It was easy to see that Andrea was in charge. She gave the orders and they were followed., for the most part anyway. Her two sisters didn't really seem have positions, they were more in the middle. They both followed and gave orders.

The others were clearly followers. They didn't have the discretion in judgment to make clear or mature decisions.

I rolled my eyes, that observation had been made very clear...

"_Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time..."_

"_John! How could that have ever been considered a good idea?!"_

Suffice it to say there would be no more candy or soda consumption allowed in the car, supervised or otherwise. Ever.

It had been a beyond sticky mess, and John hadn't been the only one to get in trouble...

"_Jacob! Why didn't you stop him?!"_

"_Like he said, it seemed like a good idea at the time..."_

Not my best choice of words. She'd mumbled all day about how she had five children in the car. That was exactly what I didn't want to hear. I wanted her to see me as an adult, someone who could be trusted to handle things when she got stressed or needed help. I wanted her to want me around and not think of me as a liability. That was obviously going to take some time.

I was almost sure that she was at least able to stand me. I just hoped that it was because she was starting to like me rather than feeling indebted. I had saved her butt twice after all, and she struck me as the type of person who would want to make it up to you if you did something for her. She didn't want sympathy from anyone.

Perhaps I'd even be able to use that against her, she'd be better off in the end. With me.

It seemed that I would have to devote some serious brain power to the cause.

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

I tried to keep my mind on driving, but it was becoming difficult. I was extremely tired. I'd been awake at the wheel for at least six hours and I was exhausted.

"Hey, pull over," I glanced at Jacob. He'd insisted on riding shotgun.

"I'm fine." I knew I was being stubborn, but I didn't want his help.

"Seriously, Annie pull over and let me drive."

I pursed my lips at his usage of my nickname. Only close friends and family had ever used it, though I supposed Jacob could be classified as a 'friend'. In the loosest sense of the word of course. I didn't hate him, and I was almost sure that I could stand his company, though it wasn't something I'd go looking for.

"Alright," I sighed. If I hadn't been so darn sleepy I would have argued the point further.

I moved the car to the shoulder and Jacob got out. I crawled over the space between the two seats and took his former position on the passenger side. I was already halfway to unconsciousness when he got us back on the road. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I heard him say something that sounded suspiciously like "Goodnight sweetheart."

* * *

I wouldn't have opened my eyes at all if someone hadn't been jumping on my bed.

"Annie, guess what!?" It was James, of course.

"I dunno Jamie, what?" I yawned loudly and then frowned, since when did I have a bed? I was fairly sure that I had left my bed behind...

"I got a _huge_ room Annie! I think I'm _dreaming_, I just woke up and there it was!" Where the heck were we?

I tried to remember what had happened before I'd fallen asleep. I knew that Jacob had taken over driving, and that he'd said something to me before I'd left for dream land. There was nothing other than that.

I pushed myself up on my elbows to look around the room. All the walls were white and there was a glass door that led out to a balcony. There was another door that was partially open revealing a large bathroom. Beside me was a nightstand with a lamp and a piece of paper.

I reached over, picking it up to see what was written on it.

"Hey, Annie can I go find Sammy?"

"Yeah, sure. Go look for Sammy, James." He left me alone with my thoughts and a mysterious note.

It was folded in half and I wasn't sure that I wanted to open it. I'd already been feeling confused and now I was anxious too. I sort of wanted to read it, to see what it had to say. At the same time however I was worried that I once I did I would wish I hadn't.

I decided that I could at least look at the end, there was sure to be a name.

..._Good luck, Bella and Alice_.

"Bella?" I muttered, I knew her, a little. I'd never heard of 'Alice' though. I thought it would be safe to read the rest of the note. Bella had seemed very nice on the phone and I was almost sure that she and Alice were friends.

_Dear Andrea,_

_I'm writing to you to explain things that I'm sure Jacob didn't, or glossed over. There is a lot to know about werewolves and how to deal with them. I know that you're probably feeling very confused, who wouldn't? I'm willing to bet (mostly because Alice forewarned me) that you woke up with no idea where you were. You are in the the Cullen's former house. They were persuaded, it didn't take much, to allow yourself and your family to move in._

_Alice says to tell you not to worry about electric bills and things of that nature..._

The letter continued on in the same fashion. She gave more advice on how to deal with the pack, and Jacob specifically. There were many 'Alice says' and 'Alice wants me to let you know' moments and I started to wonder how much this Alice actually knew. It seemed to me that the Cullen's were the vampires Jacob had described and that Alice must've been one of them. He'd left out a lot regarding them and had been careful to edit his words. It was clear that he didn't think of them highly.

Bella warned that he was prejudice, and so were many of his 'brothers'. According to her it was best to not bring up the subject. That was something I was sure I could do. I didn't want to become any more involved in all this stuff than I already was.

All in all the letter was great for clearing up many of my questions. If I ever got the chance to see or speak to Bella again I'd thank her. Alice too.

I got myself out of bed then and to check out the closet. Bella's note had let me know that Alice was a shopping demon and that whenever the chance presented itself she went all out. Apparently Alice had seen my families arrival as sufficient reason for an expedition.

In an effort to make us feel that we were welcome and not intruding she had presented us each with a whole years worth of clothing. According to Bella a years worth of clothes to Alice was three to any other sane person.

I'd thought I was prepared for what was to come but the sight just about made me faint. The closet itself was huge. I'd never seen one like it. It reminded me of Princess Mia's closet in the second movie. It was that elaborate. More than that though, it was just about bursting with shirts, short, skirts and everything else imaginable.

They didn't look like things from Wal-Mart or Target either. I wasn't sure how I could tell but I knew that this was expensive stuff. After checking out the labels and noticing that to Alice a wardrobe consisted of, not only clothing, but accessories as well, I was feeling very indebted.

It seemed that my letter writers had anticipated my feelings and in the P.S. assured me that it was no big deal. The Cullens, it seemed, had more than they needed when it came to finances. It made sense, when you didn't need to buy food you'd save a lot over a couple hundred years.

I was surprised at myself for the casualness of my thoughts. Maybe I was getting used to the idea of the formerly unknown. I had too eventually.

I set off to find the rest of my family as soon as I'd gotten over the shock of the closet and its contents.

**

* * *

**

Jacob's POV

The last time I'd been inside the Cullen house I was an uninvited party guest. I wasn't too happy about returning. It was something I'd wanted to avoid at all costs. Especially with the knowledge of why they'd left.

My only hope was that with the breaking of the treaty we'd be able to get back at them for taking away Bella's humanity. I was conflicted though. She would be one of them, would that make her a target also? And if not, then how could we take out her new 'family' and leave her alone? She'd become a danger to society with no one there to control her.

It seemed to me that none of the pack was worried enough about the problems surrounding the situation. It made me nervous. Before I'd left almost all that Sam had been thinking about was what we were going to do once we got wind of her change. As soon as it was confirmed it would be the start of a war. Now none of them even seemed to think about it! That was quiet the turn around.

I'd questioned Sam relentlessly. The moment I saw him I started asking about what we'd had to give in return for their help. At first he was reluctant to tell me, saying that it was better if I didn't know. I reminded him of the pack mind, and that sooner or later he was going to slip. Even if no one else knew what had happened _he_ did. He wouldn't be able to keep it from me forever.

He gave in then, and I wondered if he'd been right about it being better left a secret...

"Well Jacob," he'd started, "Let me begin by telling you that you _will not_ overreact." It wasn't a request, it was an order. "And you _won't _tell anyone who doesn't have to know about this." I may have been second in command but a direct order was a direct order. I knew wouldn't be able to around it. "I know this will be hard for you to hear. But..." he'd taken a deep breath and rushed through the explanation. "We had to change the treaty. There is now one exception to the 'rule'."

I flipped out. I couldn't remember a time when I had been angrier. I phased and so did Sam.

The next few minutes were full of snarls and growling. I didn't attack and neither did he. That wasn't to say that I didn't want to, but I couldn't. Apparently that would have been considered 'overreacting'. I really, really wanted to overreact.

It wasn't exactly a surprise when I thought about it. They'd needed a way around the treaty without breaking it. This was the perfect opportunity.

I phased back when I'd calmed down. Sam stayed as he was, watching me warily. He obviously didn't trust me. I wouldn't have trusted me either.

"Damn bloodsuckers," I hissed. "Damn bloodsuckers!"

* * *

I spent the rest of the afternoon being mad. I was unable to see through the red haze of anger for at least an hour and a half. I sat on the steps to my house. Billy stayed out of my way and didn't say anything about it. I knew he knew though.

When my mind had cleared I went to find out how Andrea was settling in. Being in _that_ house wasn't going to be easy, but I needed to be near her. She kept me sane.

She was looking overwhelmed when she opened the door for me. I tried to keep the sickened look off my face as I steeped inside. It smelled like bloodsucker. Horrifyingly sweet. It was completely disgusting and it made me want to barf.

"This house is..." she seemed to be struggling for a word that would adequately describe the former Cullen house. "Incredible. And get this, you won't believe what Alice did!" It upset me that it took a vampire for her to speak me casually. "She bought us all at least _three years_ worth of clothes! And they aren't you typical JC Penny things either. I think they must be designer because..."

I let her talk, it was insane that she felt comfortable speaking to me in a house that had once belonged to vampires. Maybe there was something more to them, or maybe I just picked the weirdest girls to crush on. I'd rather believe that last one.

She seemed to go on and on about how _Alice _and her _family _had done all those things for her. She didn't even know the damn things!

"Okay," I interrupted. "So I get that the bloodsuckers are..." I could complement them, even sarcastically. "Right, anyway. I just wanted to be sure that you weren't, you know, in shock or anything."

She frowned at me. "What's your problem Jacob? You could be just a little grateful. They did give us their house."

I scoffed. "They hardly gave it up for free. We had to..." I choked on my words. "I mean, we needed to..." I couldn't say it! "Damn Sam and his damn orders!"

A look of annoyance crossed her face. "Well? What'd they ask for if it wasn't free? You didn't have to dish out any money. I think that's pretty generous of them."

"Oh, if you only knew." I rolled my eyes.

"Bella said you were prejudice, so I guess this shouldn't be a surprise. But you're so hard headed!" That was true. I was hard header and maybe prejudice. It was for good reason though. I just couldn't tell her that.

"If I could talk to you about it I would, believe me. Sam's a damn bastard."

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

He wasn't making any sense. None at all. I didn't understand why he wouldn't just tell me what they'd had to give! It wasn't that big of a deal.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter really anyway. The point is that you could try to look past the..issues just this once. It wouldn't hurt anything."

"Maybe it wouldn't," he allowed. "But we'll never know." He left the house then. I couldn't believe that he'd walked out on me like that! It was incredibly rude.

I narrowed my eyes, following out the door and into the woods surrounding the property. He was being such a jerk!

"Jacob," I hissed. He ignored me, picking up instead a broken twig. "Jacob!"

"Not now," he muttered, examining the small piece of wood. "I don't have the patience to discuss the bloodsuckers and how they've gotten to you too."

My lips pursed; I only did that when I was extremely irritated. That seemed to be happening more often now that I'd met Jacob. He affected me in more ways than I wanted to admit.

I felt my face start to heat up at the accidental image the thought called into being. Though it wasn't what I'd meant the idea was still there. I didn't like that. I didn't want to be attached to him in anyway.

It was too late for that of course. I already owed him much more than I could give back. I wondered how I could make it up to him. I would too. I didn't want it hanging over my head forever.

I wouldn't rest until I'd paid my debt. In the mean time though, I thought it would be alright to get back at him for being so closed minded and inconsiderate.

Suddenly I gasped and exclaimed, "Get it! Jacob get it!"

His head whipped about. "Get what?"

"Get it!! Hurry up!"

"What damn it!?" He was getting worried then. "What is it?!"

"There!" I pointed to a leaf pile, "It went under there," I picked up a twig, leaned closer, and poked the pile.

"Well damn, don't poke it!"

All was quiet for a moment and then...

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

She screamed, she screamed so loudly that I just about died.

"Jacob!"

"What in the hell happened?!" I shouted.

"It bit me!! Oh my God, what if it was poisonous?! Jacob!"

"Holy shit, Andrea let me see it, right now," I tried to calm myself and reached for her hand, but she wouldn't let me see it. "Fuck Annie, let me see your God damn hand!"

"NO! You'll make it worse I know you will," she was still for a second...

* * *

**Annie's POV**

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, Jacob it's starting to hurt!"

I saw him roll his eyes, exasperated and worried. "Well let me see it!"

I bit my lip before sticking my hand in his face. "Here!" he was so startled by my movement that he fell over backwards, which was of course exactly what I'd wanted all along.

I laughed harder than I ever had before, I couldn't believe he'd fallen for it! I wasn't even very good at acting. He deserved it to, swearing like that.

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

I had not appreciated her joke, not one bit. It wasn't funny.

Then I froze and whispered, "Andrea! Shut up!"

She stopped laughing. "What is it?"

I stood and moved to stand closer to her. "I don't know, just stay quiet alright?"

With her head nodding, and eyes wide she murmured, "Okay."

I didn't speak again and neither did she.

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

It was silent for a few moments, I wondered what it was Jacob could hear that I was unable to. I supposed it wasn't too surprising that he could hear whatever it was and I couldn't. His hearing was probably much better than my own. The question was, what was it? And was it dangerous?

He put his hands on my shoulders, probably to keep me from moving, and that was when I started to get nervous.

I looked around, I couldn't see anything but trees and bushes. I squinted and thought that maybe I'd seen a shadow move just to our left...

I was really starting to get worked up when he yelled, "BOO!"

I gasped and my heart began beating a mile a minute, he just laughed his pretty russet colored face off. He laughed so hard that he fell over again. He was laughing, and laughing, and laughing... and then I fainted.

**

* * *

**

Jacob's POV

I heard rather than saw her hit the ground. "Shit," I said. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit." I moved toward her quickly, she was too still. "Shit!"

I lifted and then dropped her arm, it hit the ground with no resistance, "Damn it Annie, I didn't mean to scare you, well that's a lie, but I didn't mean to _really_ scare you!" She didn't move. "Crap, Annie honey I'm sorry."

I wasn't sure if I should try to move her, what if she'd hurt her head? She could have landed on a rock. Or worse, maybe she'd broken something when she went down? I didn't see any blood but that didn't ease my panic. I briefly considered phasing...

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

I grabbed him by the wrist, he jumped about a mile in the air! "Did you ever hear the phrase, 'scared to death'?" I muttered, cracking an eye open. His eyes were wide and his breathing erratic, "Never do that to me again," I hissed.

He nodded. "Right, noted. Annie can't take a joke." He swallowed loudly.

I stood up then and after brushing the dirt and derbies off myself began walking.

"Annie love, where are you going?"

"I'm leaving, I'm tired of being here." I didn't acknowledge his term of endearment.

He grabbed my hand. "Your going the wrong way honey."

I made a face at him and turned to start going in the opposite direction. "Still the wrong way Ann."

I groaned. "Well then where am I supposed to go?"

He took my hand and pulled me to the left. "This way."

I walked on ahead of him.

**

* * *

**

Jacob's POV

I was grinning like an idiot and I knew it. I couldn't help it though, because technically she was now holding my hand as she pulled me along behind her. Not the other way around.

**A/N: Yup, so that's chapter 12...yawns. Not much to say here. The doc editor is being an r-tard and it's really getting on my nerves...it keeps changing the format! I've been on here for 30 minutes trying to get it right. If there are any big mistakes let me know please. **

**Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Stars-Switchfoot**

**Disclaimer- For some strange reason I still don't own the rights to the Twilight Saga. I wonder why that is? Oh, right. I didn't magically transform into Stephenie Meyer. Shoot.**

**A/N- Sorry this took so long, I had to read Breaking Dawn and I got a bunch of other books at Borders while I was waiting so those had to be read too. This kind of got pushed to the back of my mind...I don't really like this chapter, I'm not sure why.**

**I hope you do though!**

**Annie's POV**

I paced the room that was now mine. From the door to the bed. From the bed to the door. Back and forth. Back and forth. I was sure that I would wear a hole in the white rug.

I was going stir-crazy, I wasn't used to having so much free time. Back home...

I stopped pacing. Not home, I corrected myself. That place wasn't home.

Right. Pacing resumed.

What I meant was that back on the farm I'd always had something to do. Nothing was ever finished I just ran out of time. There had never been a dull moment. Even when things were going totally and completely wrong something was happening. I remembered the days when I longed for peace and quiet. When I'd wanted nothing more than a few hours of silence.

If only I'd known then what I knew now. I would have cherished those moments of chaos rather than wished for them to end.

There was truly nothing to do. When I'd first realized that I had time on my hands I was ecstatic. It was something that had never happened before. I could do anything! There were so many possibilities, so many things that I'd never done and had always wanted to try. There were so many...

...minutes in an hour.

There was too _much_ time. Half the things I'd 'always wanted to try' were completely impractical and didn't make much sense when I considered them carefully. And just because I _could_ do anything it didn't mean that I would.

For example I could go cliff diving, but I was afraid of heights and therefore even if I did feel up to walking all the way to La Push I wouldn't have done it.

In theory having free time was something that everyone needed. It was supposed to be a good thing. It was a chance to take a step back and relax. Who didn't need rest and relaxation occasionally?

Me apparently. It seemed that I needed to be working or at least doing something productive. That was a bit of a let down. Did that mean I was high maintenance?

The point was that I had nothing to do. I'd cleaned the house twice, rearranged my closet and sock drawer, registered Sammy, Abby and John for school in September, gotten James signed up for a free two days a week preschool program and had made lists of everything from school supplies to possible future baby names in birth, gender, and alphabetical order.

So I paced. Waiting for something, anything, to happen.

I changed my path to include the glass doors. It was getting pretty rough outside, very windy and very wet. That was something I still wasn't used to, the intense dampness that was the Olympic Peninsula. It was perpetually cloudy and it never seemed to be dry. Even when it wasn't pouring rain the air was saturated with water. It made it hard to breath.

I was so focused on watching the drops hit the small patio that I jumped when a crash sounded from downstairs accompanied by a loud voice. Said voice had a serious problem with cussing.

My eyes rolled and I let my head hit the cool glass, a sigh escaped me. Jacob had been spending more and more time hanging out at my house. I didn't know why he came around so often. It wasn't exactly annoying, more frustrating. I didn't not want him here, that wasn't it, but he wouldn't give an explanation for his sudden appearances. I couldn't exactly tell him to leave, that would have been rude under the best circumstances, and when I considered all that he had done for myself and my family...

No, I had to put up with it. Besides it wasn't so very hard to get along with him, when he kept his mouth shut. As long as he wasn't talking and swearing he was almost like a friend. Almost. He was almost a very loud friend with a constant fever who just happened to be able to transform into an incredibly huge dog.

Almost but not quite.

Truthfully I didn't know what was keeping me from accepting him as a part of this new life. I'd always been a quiet sort of person, I didn't naturally gravitate toward the crowd. I preferred my family to strangers. But Jacob wasn't a stranger, actually I probably knew him better than I knew any other boy who I wasn't related to.

Maybe that was it. Maybe it was because he was the first non-family guy to enter my life since, well, ever. I'd left school before anyone could get too interested to take care of my mother and the farm. I needed to be there more than I needed to be in school. What was out there for me anyway? There weren't very many choices. I was just some farm girl going to the local high school. I'd never had time for extra activities or peer groups and while my grades were as high as I could get them that just wasn't enough to get into a good college. Even if it was we couldn't have afforded it.

I shook my head at myself. Dwelling on what wasn't and never would be didn't help anything. Besides it wasn't like I was stupid or anything. I enjoyed learning and reading and all that. I didn't stop doing those things just because I had to drop out. My mother had taught me all that she knew and we had some old books that had been used in the days of one room schoolhouses. It was more fun to learn at home than locked in a building with four hundred whiny teenagers anyway.

My mind wandered back to the subject of the male species. Why was it that I was so against being Jacob's friend? It couldn't hurt anything really. I'd never had a boy for a friend, not a close one. They'd always seemed to be so far from where I was emotionally and mentally. They were still laughing about bodily functions and bugs while I was outgrowing Barbie dolls and pink. They had seemed to be so very immature compared to myself. Jacob wasn't like those children of my past, but I wasn't sure what he represented for the future.

Well, I'd never know if I never gave him the chance to get there.

I stared at my reflected face in the glass and pursed my lips. I guessed that meant that I was ready to let Jacob in a little bit farther. I remembered the saying though, give them an inch and they'll take a mile. I had the feeling that while Jacob wasn't _my_ friend yet I was already _his._ I also thought that he might want more than that.

I wasn't sure that I was ready for that. Not after all that had happened. And besides, I felt like Jacob was keeping me out of the loop. Oh he'd told me a lot alright, but it seemed to me that something big was missing. Wasn't it customary, for friends to tell each other things? Important things anyway? Maybe that was just a girl thing, but if a friend was keeping something significant from you wasn't that like lying?

But then...what right did I have to feel left out? I didn't even want to know about all that crazy, impossible yet somehow possible stuff. And as I'd just told myself that so far as he knew we weren't even friends.

A loud huff of breath escaped me, fogging the see-though door. Why was it so hard to just be friends with him? Why did I have to go and make everything so difficult?

I was sure that I was making it much more complicated than it needed to be. I over thought everything. It was in my nature to be extra careful. I couldn't remember ever jumping into the darkness without a flashlight. I didn't like not knowing where I was going. I needed to feel in control even if I didn't actually have a say in what occurred.

I had no control in this situation, I didn't know what would happen. My whole life had changed in a matter of days and I didn't know how regain command of it. Nothing was the way it was supposed to be. I was supposed to be somewhere else doing something else with someone else.

But who? What and where?

I didn't know, and that worried me more than anything else.

**

* * *

**

Jacob's POV

"Damn." I'd knocked three times and no one had answered. That disturbed me, someone always opened the door. Always.

I backed up to look at the house in it's entirety, looking for any lit rooms. I couldn't find any from the front.

"Damn." Did they leave? Go somewhere? The car was gone and as far as I knew Andrea was the only one with a license. She seemed like a law abiding kind of person to me. That and I didn't think she trusted her sister with the van.

I'd been thinking about her a lot lately, trying to figure her out. If I could just learn to understand her I was sure that I could work out a way to make her mine. I was already hers, but she didn't see that. It was as if she was purposely ignoring what was right in front of her. And maybe she was. I knew she had been though a lot, but I wasn't making a secret of my feelings; the way I felt was obvious enough. I just hadn't said it yet. I didn't want to scare her away.

I understood her need for time. I really did and I had more than enough to spare, but I didn't want to waste it and any time that we weren't together was a waste. I knew that she was only putting up with me and it hurt, but it wasn't causing her any harm. I would rather stay near than far away and if it annoyed her then oh well. If she really wanted me gone I would leave, but I was hoping it wouldn't come to that.

Pondering my unwilling lover led to many, many questions and very few answers. She was a mystery. I couldn't work out what she was thinking. It had been so easy with Bella, effortless. She was an open book. Andrea was a closed, locked and welded shut steel box of secrets. I sort of wished that Ann's thoughts were as readily available as Bella's had been, yet at the same time I liked trying to guess her emotions. I was always so wrong, so far off the mark. I was getting better at it though. It was something learned through practice.

I worried though that I had somehow lost the knowledge I'd gained. I'd backed off recently, trying to give her space. The pack had made bets. 'How long do _you_ think Jake can go without seeing his girl?' It had become a hourly event with a play by play commentary and updates. They had charts tacking my progress and everything.

You just didn't get that kind of love from a real family...damn bastards. Leah was the worst though; it had all been her idea in the first place and she'd reserved the right to let out random news flashes during meetings. What really got me was that Sam allowed it. I would have thought he'd show a little respect.

Billy thought it was funny too. No support.

I hadn't been to see her in three days; that was the record. I was almost certain that I'd been going through withdrawal. It caused me physical pain to be away from her. Not knowing what she was doing distressed me.

Grudgingly I admitted that I now understood how Bella felt about her leech. How she claimed to feel anyway. It was nearly unbearable to be separated from Annie for any length of time. Much less a day or two...or three. I was never going to make it past three. I could admit defeat. I wasn't ashamed, I was doing better than Jared at least. He and Kim were practically ready to be joined by surgery.

I rolled my eyes at myself, I knew that if Andrea would just accept me I'd be all over her like ketchup on a hot dog.

Speaking of hot dogs and the things that went on them I was getting pretty hungry. Against my better judgment I slowly opened the front door, noting that I'd have to talk to someone about making sure to lock it when they left. I could wait for them to return inside, what were a few more hours? It'd be hell, the bloodsucker stench hadn't worn away, but worth it in the end.

I wondered how angry Ann would be at me for entering her house uninvited and eating her food. I was so focused on trying to find a way to keep her from blowing her top that I didn't notice the stray set of action figures until I'd broken a few of them. Not only that but I was getting the entry way wet.

I was trying to avoid getting water anywhere unnecessary and failed miserably. I stepped on a small, red marble. Just before it shattered into dust it sent me for a loop.

I couldn't remember a time when I had felt so uncoordinated. I was normally very good on my feet. It was an acquired skill that I was very proud of. I hit the floor with a crash and started swearing. Not from pain, but fear. If I had broken or left dents in the floor I was as good as dead. She'd order me away for sure. I didn't think I could live through that.

I stayed down for a few minutes, looking around. Making sure that were no more renegade toys lying in wait. Land mines.

I regained my sense of balance and found, to my immense relief, that I had not damaged the flooring. I had however killed a few superheros. I almost felt sorry for the little guys. Never saw it coming. They didn't suffer, broke into a million plastic pieces before they could feel anything...

That had to count for something right?

After deliberating for a moment I decided to dispose of the evidence. I found a broom and dust pan in a first floor closet and dumped the tiny pieces in a hole outside. A very deep hole. I put a rock over the covered spot as a sort of marker. Hopefully no one would be feeling observant enough to notice the fresh mound of earth.

Inside I dried the wet footprints I'd left with a mop and bucket, also from the closet. If I was lucky no one would have any idea that I was here until they saw me.

I made my way to the kitchen, checked out the refrigerator and to my surprise I found hot dogs. The microwaveable kind that each come in individual plastic wrap. There were two unopened boxes of them on the top shelf.

My hand stopped just as it was about pick up the first box. My rational side had kicked in.

It was impossible for me to eat just one hot dog. If I took one I'd take another. I'd be done with both boxes before the hour was over. Andrea hadn't bought them for me, she'd bought them for her family. It didn't matter how much I wished it were otherwise, I was not family.

With a sigh I closed the door, cutting off the flow of cool air. A voice cleared it's throat, setting off alarm bells in my head. I'd know that sound anywhere.

"So, looking to run me out of food?" She sounded almost accusatory.

"I thought about it." There was no point in lying about it. She could see right through me.

"Only thought?" I looked at her, she seemed unsure of herself. Or was I reading her expression incorrectly?

"Yeah, strangely enough it occurred that you might want to give this stuff to someone other than myself." I hadn't meant for it to sound so sarcastic.

Her lips formed what could only be described as a pout."There's no reason to get defensive. I was just making an inquiry." She huffed. "What are you doing here anyway?"

That was a good question. I hadn't had a specific reason for my trip. More than anything I'd wanted to ease my worries, to reassure myself that she was safe. I couldn't tell her that, not in those words at least.

"Just wanted to see what you were up to." I was no a liar. "It's been three days since I was last here you know." Three long, terrible days of insane pain.

"Three days? Really?" she seemed confused. "It's been that long?"

I nodded with a sigh. Apparently though the separation had seemed like a never ending circle of hell to me, it was nothing to her. I should have expected it.

"Oh." She looked like she was feeling awkward, I understood that. "Well, there isn't much to do here. Everyone else has gone to the beach, I can't imagine why, it's horrible out there."

"You let Samantha take the van?" I tried to keep the surprise from my voice.

"Yes, it isn't very far. As long as she doesn't drive off a cliff..." she let statement trail off, ending on an uncertain note. "She's a careful driver."

"I'm sure she is."

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

I was finding it difficult to speak with Jacob one-on-one. It wasn't exactly comfortable being alone with him. I knew that I had no reason to feel so hesitant about it, but it seemed that I would have to work at keeping my resolution.

It was just that I didn't know what to say to him. I didn't understand him and I had no experience interacting with the male species in general. I didn't read girly magazines that gave advice, and I didn't have a mother to turn to ask questions. I was going in blind.

I tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. I had no idea what to do yet I knew that I had to do something. I _wanted_ to be his friend. I acknowledged that now, it was more than an obligation.

It was a split second decision; one that shocked the both of us.

I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into the living room. "Sit down," I hadn't meant to command it, but that was the way it came out. "I have something to say and you need to listen closely because I will not be repeating myself. Alright?"

His eyes were wide as he nodded at me.

"Good," I took a deep breath and let it back out again. "I don't want to be so blunt about this, but I don't know how to put it any other way." I felt sick, this shouldn't have had to be such a big thing. I just wanted to be friends for goodness sake! "You've helped me, us, so much. Really. It wasn't just some small thing. You pretty much saved us and revealed a huge...secret in the process. I will never, ever be able to make it up to you. I can promise that I won't tell anyone, not for anything! I swear it."

"I know you won't," was his mumbled reply. His face, though not red like mine surely was, had darkened a shade or two.

"Glad to here that, this'll be easier now. I just want to reassure you that this isn't really a big deal, I just don't know how to go about it. It's already unconventional and I have no prior experience to go off of. I'm nervous.

"All I'm asking is that," I stuck out my hand, "we be mutual friends."

His look of discontent melted into one of surprise. His smile was so wide that I wondered how it fit on his face. Instead of just shaking my hand as I had intended he stood, took it and just about removed my arm from it's socket as he pulled me toward him.

It was the biggest, longest, most smothering hug I had ever received. I thought I was going to pass out from heatstroke. What stunned me was that it wasn't unpleasant. In fact I sort of enjoyed it.

**

* * *

**

Jacob's POV

I didn't feel that I could trust myself to speak so I just held her for as long as she would let me. This was more than I had ever dared to hope for. She had admitted, with no prodding or manipulation, that she liked me. In the sense of friendship only, but that was more than what I'd thought was possible. To say that I was ecstatic would have been an understatement.

She didn't pull away and I wasn't about to let go.

I wasn't sure how long I kept her there before she said, "You do know that I told you we were just friends right?" She looked up at me, her eyes on the edge of a glare.

"Sure, sure." I let her push me and back away.

She shook her head and rolled the sleeves of her sweater up. "You can't do that okay? It's uncomfortable for me, I've never really...you know. And you're too hot."

I had to work to keep the smile off my face. Though I knew she didn't mean it the way I wanted her too, the idea was still there. She didn't seem to have realized that her statement could be taken two ways. It was amazing that, for all that she had experienced in life, she could be so naive.

I watched as she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her hair out so that it partially obscured her face. It was clear that she was feeling embarrassed.

I hoped to alleviate her fears with my words of comfort. "Thank you, for accepting me I mean. I appreciate it. That couldn't have been easy for you."

She nodded. "You have no idea."

"We're friends now though, right?" I found it difficult to believe that she had been telling me the truth. During the few weeks that I had known her she hadn't given the slightest hint of being interested in me in any way. Though this was more than I had ever dreamed of having I worried that I had somehow gotten the wrong idea. I was notorious for seeing things, not as they were, but as I wanted them to be.

"Yeah, Jacob. We're friends," she made a face. "I'm not sure what that means though."

I cracked my knuckles and flopped back down on the couch, making a show of just how at ease I was with all of this. "Luckily I have loads of experience with being 'just friends'." I didn't mention my past failings in that department. "It's not hard, I'm sure that I can teach you the basics."

She didn't seem convinced but we had time to work on that. I could be patient, and if what she needed right now was friendship then that was what I was going to give her. With any luck I'd earn her trust and win her heart in the process.

For now though I'd have to focus on not messing up what I'd so recently gained.

Friendship, how hard could that be?

**A/N: Famous last words Jacob, famous last words. You know what would be cool? If, for chapter 13, I got 13 reviews...yup. That would be _really, really _cool. Cough (hint) cough **

**Can you guess where this quote is from? Bonus virtual candy if you know what it refers to: **"**Innocent child's toy, or weapon of mass destruction? You be the judge."**


	14. Chapter 14

**Bye Bye Love- The Everly Brothers**

**A/N: Chapter 14 is here! Be happy. **

**Disclaimer: Somehow I don't think this is ever going to change. I'm not Stephenie Meyer, and I'm not getting paid to post/write this.**

**Jacob's POV**

Time was passing quickly; time flies when you're having fun. And I was having some serious fun.

Being friends with Andrea was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. I thought back to the time when I'd thought Bella was the center of the universe. Now I understood. Annie was the center of _everything._ The world was held together because she existed.

She kept me in place, tethered me to the earth's surface. Without her I would float away into and be consumed by the darkness. I would never come back. If she left me I would leave me too. It would be the end of everything.

Every moment of every day I was thinking of her. She had completely invaded my brain and I didn't mind it. When I was with her I concentrated on keeping her happy; when I was away from her I thought up new ways to draw her nearer to me. Nothing mattered as much as she did. Nothing would ever matter as much as she did.

Her face, her hair, her scent, her body...everything about her pulled me in. I kept wanting to be closer. I always seemed to want more. More time, more physical contact, more conversation. More of everything and anything. I took what I could get.

The few days that had passed had been eventful. It was becoming clear that Andrea not only accepted me as part of her life, but was enjoying my presence there. She laughed at my jokes and smiled when I showed up on her doorstep uninvited. She'd asked me to have breakfast with herself and the rest of her family twice and I felt that both times had gone extremely well.

Most of her siblings had welcomed me with open arms. Not all, but most. Samantha was highly suspicious and John was right behind her. I understood the boy's motivations, I was a male entering his territory, he felt the need to protect. That was easily remedied. I'd just needed to reassure him, privately, that I meant no harm. That and I promised to teach him how to ride my motorcycle.

Samantha wasn't so quick to be deterred. At first she'd refused to allow me to be left alone in the same room as Andrea. Luckily Ann had quickly realized her sisters intentions and told her to 'butt out'. Samantha however was ready with other less noticeable plans for keeping me away from her sister. Things seemed to happen whenever I was about to get a moment alone with Andrea; things like the accidental breakage of dishes or the sucking up of a small toy by the vacuum.

Despite her best efforts however Andrea and I were growing closer. We were spending more and more time together and I figured that there was no better time to ask her out.

"Umm,what? You get that we're only friends right? I thought I explained this to you clearly."

"I know _that._ Not 'go out' as in date, but 'go out' as in go to a late night tribal council meeting involving food, legends, and probably some fights." With Paul there that was a given.

"I don't know Jacob..."

"Oh come on! I really want you to come with me!" If I had to get on my knees and beg I would do it. It was customary that pack members brought their imprints to meetings when possible. I wanted her there, I'd already cleared it with everyone.

She looked unconvinced so I took a different route. "I thought this was what people who were friends did Ann. I want you to meet my other friends and like them."

"Well, what if I _don't_ like them? What if we don't get along?" I knew enough about girls to understand what she was actually asking.

"You'll be fine, they'll all like you," I reached for her hand, patting it. "They know you're going to be there, they'll be on their best behavior. Please come with me!"

She was caving I could see it. "I suppose I could go, but only if you're sure they'll, I mean, I'll be able to get along with them."

I rolled my eyes at her. "It won't be a problem, trust me." They already accepted her as family, she was an imprint after all.

"Maybe," she was hesitant. "...Alright."

I sucked inward, I needed the air. Unfortunately a fly happened to flitting past, was caught in the flow and ended up in my mouth. I coughed and hacked, but it went down.

Ann patted me on the back, it didn't do much. She was probably using all her strength. It didn't matter. She was touching me. I even kept the coughing up for a bit longer than necessary.

"Are you okay?" she sounded so concerned! This was heaven. Never mind that I'd been choking on a fly. Never mind that said fly was now being digested by my stomach. All that mattered was that Andrea was touching my arm and looking up at me with those beautiful green eyes of hers. "Jacob! I asked if you were all right!" She shook my arm.

I blinked out of my thoughts to answer her. "Sorry, the fly went down. I'm good." Better than good, I was walking on air.

She made a face at me. "By what time do I need to be ready?"

* * *

I'd left her to do whatever it was girls did before they felt like they could leave the house. That was one secret I was sure that I would never want to know the answer to.

Back at Rez I helped set up the drift wood fire while trying to contain my excitement. The others rolled their eyes at me, but I didn't care. This would be Andrea's first pack meeting and that was a big thing. It was a definite step in the right direction. Now all I had to do was keep things running smoothly.

While I waited for four thirty to roll around, I'd decided to show up a little early, I worked on the Rabbit. I wanted it clean and nice-smelling when I picked her up.

I opened all the doors to air it out and then set to work on de-junking the inside. I found a few things I'd thought I'd lost, a shoe, a very old math sheet that I'd known I'd done; as well as a few surprises. There was some cheese under the passenger seat, and a bunch of mushy, now brown grapes in the back. I didn't know where half the things I found had come from.

I then set to vacuuming it out with the hand held portable. Crumbs, wrappers, and small pieces of hard candy were all sucked inside. I sprayed it with an air freshener that claimed to smell like green apple.

With all that finished I had nothing to do but wait.

I hung around the house for a while, flipping through the television channels with the remote. I passed by Rachel Ray on the Food Network, and some girly movie on WE. Nothing.

After investigating the refrigerator and finding zilch I left to raid Emily's kitchen. Sam didn't like us hanging around when he wasn't there, but had never specifically forbidden it. Besides I was convinced that Emily found it funny when we partially disobeyed Sam.

She watched me approach through the living room window; I saw her roll her eyes at me. I didn't knock and once I was inside headed for the kitchen.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere other than my house?"

I nodded without turning from my position in front of the refrigerator. "Probably, but I'm out of food and hungry."

"Hmmm," she left me alone after that. I could hear her watching some TV show about babies...

Babies?

"Hey, uhh, Emily," I sat down next to her on the tiny couch, it wasn't much bigger than mine. "Since when are you interested in children?"

She jumped, startled and changed the channel. I caught her glancing at me, hoping that she could undo whatever damage had been done.

"Don't tell me anything you don't want me thinking about." I warned her.

"Then I won't say anything at all. You'd better leave though, don't you want to look presentable?"

She was right about that. So even though I'd failed to fill my empty stomach I left Emily to do whatever it was she was doing. She'd successfully distracted me from my quest to find food and had instead directed me to my dresser it's contents. Or lack there of.

I'd never had a reason to 'dress up' before and hadn't expected one to ever come up. Even if I'd wanted anything more I would have had to work for the money to get them, something I'd never been willing to do. Now I had to make due with what I had. Normally I wouldn't have cared at all about I was wearing, but I wanted to look...respectable. In other words I didn't want Andrea to think that I'd just thrown on whatever my hands touched first.

Sure that was what I was going to do, but I didn't want her to know that.

I didn't stop to look in the mirror before I flew out the door and into the Rabbit, I couldn't stop twitching. I'd never been so excited in all my life. Not only had I found 'the one', but I now got to share something important to me with her. The feeling was better than any I'd ever experienced before.

As I turned onto the long driveway my excitement changed into a dull sense of panic. What if she'd changed her mind? What if this drove us apart? Was she ready for all this? She'd been hesitant about accepting my invitation, what if she didn't really want to go? Had I pushed her into saying yes?

I rang the doorbell and stepped back from the porch. Waiting, with baited breath for someone to answer.

When she opened the door I stopped breathing completely. Ann was wearing a white, cotton summer dress that ended just above her knees. It banded at the waist and had an added bow in the back. On her feet were ballet flats. She couldn't have been more stunning.

I noted the blush had appeared on her cheeks as she approached me; she must have noticed my staring.

"I know you're feeling self-conscious, but I won't apologize for staring."

Her face went from faint red to dark burgundy in a matter of seconds. "I knew I looked horrible, I shouldn't have let Abby dress me up..."

I couldn't believe that she thought she looked anything less than disconcertingly beautiful. Her fears were completely unfounded and utterly absurd. "What are you talking about?! Are you blind!?"

So maybe that wasn't the best way to phrase my surprise at her lack of self-confidence. She turned away from me; I would have been worried that she'd taken offense at my comments except that I could hear the smile in her voice as she asked,

"Is that your car?"

All thoughts of the previous conversation disappeared in an instant. This was my chance to impress her. To regale her with tales of how I'd built it, persevered through rain, snow and shine. Of how I'd worked to save money to pay for parts, and had done it all on my own.

"Uhh, yeah." My verbal communication skills had failed me just when I needed them the most.

"So," she said.

"So," I repeated.

She gave me a tight smile before saying, "Should we get going now or what?"

"You'll be fine," I soothed as I opened the passenger side door for her, trying to be a gentleman. A moment later though, when she hadn't gotten in, I started worrying that I had somehow offended her. Had I accidentally insulted her? She'd never come across as the femenazi type, but what did I know? I really, really hoped she wasn't a femenazi. That would be just my luck, of all the girls to fall for...

"Is something wrong?" I asked, trying to keep the concern from my voice.

"Well, I actually expected it, I mean the car, to be sort of, not so unsoiled." She shrugged and got in. I shut the door and let out a sigh of relief as I too climbed inside.

"It's a pleasant surprise," she commented, leaning back in her seat.

"Does that mean it's passed inspection?" I joked.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Yeah."

The rest of the ride passed in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable, it wasn't even awkward. I took it as a good sign.

It wasn't long before we reached the reservation. I parked outside my house, helped Ann out of the car and then led her toward the beach. It was an uneventful walk. We passed a few other houses, and a couple of cars including Sam's new-used Geo.

We didn't speak, well, she didn't speak. I commented on things as we went by them and waited patiently for some kind of response. If I was lucky she'd nod or shrug. It was clear that her feelings of inadequacy had not yet passed. I didn't know how to alleviate her fears. I came to the decision that the best I could do was stay by her side and try to show her why those worries were unnecessary. I didn't think I would ever get used to the idea that she didn't see herself the way I saw her.

Soon enough we came upon the already roaring bonfire and were accosted by the pack. I knew Andrea wasn't going to appreciate their attempts friendliness. There wasn't much I could do but try to get us away from them as soon as possible.

"So Jake, is this her?" Embry asked.

"Well, is it?"

"No, guys, it's obviously his oldest sister's best friend's second cousin twice removed," Leah answered with a roll of her eyes.

They were all speaking loudly and at once, I could barely make out what they were saying; it must've sounded like a bunch of mindless chatter to Ann.

"Hey, back off!" I warned. They were closing in, trying to push each other out of the way. Though I certainly didn't mind the way Andrea was pressing into my side it meant that she was feeling claustrophobic. "You're making her uncomfortable!"

I was contemplating violence and almost ready to hit whoever it was that was closest to me when I heard a car door slam shut.

"Oh, this sure is heavy!" I looked around to see Emily pushing Sam away as he tried to help her with a box full of food. "I really wish someone would come and help me!" Sam looked as confused as I was and once again tired, unsuccessfully, to take it from her. "Whoever did that would deserve some kind of reward...like maybe the first few hot dogs?"

It was then that I realized her plan. Heads snapped up and the crowed around us moved toward Emily.

Ann let out a sigh. "Thank God for that. Who is she?" she asked, nodding toward where the group had converged.

"That's Emily," I answered. "We should probably thank her later." Andrea nodded her head in agreement and allowed me to guide her toward the center of the activity.

I introduced her to everyone and she was a sweet and polite as could be. I knew it was difficult for her to speak to so many strangers and to answer their questions but all things considered she did very well, only occasionally stumbling over her words.

Soon enough it was time to fight for your sustenance and gather around the fire for legend-telling. I advised Andrea to let me handle the food.

"You don't have to tell me twice," she'd muttered as she sat on a log. She was a smart girl.

I didn't know what she would want, but I knew what I would want, so I got two plate fulls of everything. She rolled her eyes at me when I handed her one and started on my own. I ended up having more than half of hers as well, her lack of appetite worried me.

"Jacob, I realize that you and your strange friends are able to eat half a cow each, but that doesn't mean that everyone can."

It wasn't long after that everyone began to quiet down and prepare to listen to the long told histories of our tribe.

My mind began wandering nearly as soon as Billy started speaking. I'd heard them all before and they didn't concern me at the moment. I was watching Andrea, hoping to see her reaction to what I knew to be my past. She listened, wide eyed as my father went on and on about our tribe's background.

Her hair, looking almost blue in the firelight, shinned. Her jade colored eyes glittered as she listened, soaking in all the new information. I could tell that she was enjoying herself and watching her made me happy too, things were going better than I could have ever planned.

And then life threw me a curve ball.

"Aww damn," I muttered. I watched silently as Andrea's posture became rigid, tuning out the story I'd heard a million times. The first imprint. Of all the ones that could have been told, he'd had to use this one. I was almost sure I'd mentioned that Andrea didn't know anything about imprinting, much less the entire story.

I'd been planning to tell her at some unknown later date. When the time was _right_. I'd wanted to hold off until I was sure that it was possible for her to take it all in. I'd hoped to wait until she could look at all sides of the 'problem' and consider it objectively.

It seemed that fate had other plans.

* * *

**Annie's POV**

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Of all the things to keep from me, of all the stories to withhold, he picked this one.

It was extremely difficult to sit still until the end of the 'storytelling', but I didn't want to seem rude. Getting up in the middle of a tribal council meeting would make me appear ill-mannered. I wouldn't disrespect my mother's memory that way. However, as soon as an acceptable amount of time had passed after the last few uttered words regarding legend I very sweetly told Jacob that I needed to speak with him. Alone.

He trailed silently along behind me as I stalked away from the blue-green bonfire, up the beach and toward the cliffs. I stopped when I was near enough to the edge of a smaller drop-off to both see and hear the waves crashing against the rock. I could feel the spray of the water and the salt stung my eyes. I didn't care though, I could think of nothing but the information that had been so recently reveled to me.

For a moment I stood silently with my back to him then, quiet suddenly, I couldn't hold it together any more. I whirled around to face him and started shouting a string of meaningless words and phrases that were intended to do nothing but cause him pain. My mind didn't catch up with my mouth for a full minute and by the time it did I had no idea what I'd just said. Whatever it was had done it's job, his face was twisted with badly suppressed anguish. I couldn't make myself feel sorry for hurting him because he'd hurt me first and I felt justified in my anger.

I knew my logic was flawed, but in the heat of the moment it didn't matter.

"How could you have kept that from me!? Jacob! All this time, acting like you wanted to be friends..."

"I do want to be friends Andrea! As long as that's what you want it's what I want!"

He tried to defend himself but I was having none of it. I didn't believe him, how could I?

"I am going home, now. And you will not follow me. I will call you later, maybe." I stomped away to deal with my extremely confused thoughts. I didn't care that I was going to have to walk all the way back to the house in the dark. I didn't care that it was most likely going to rain and that I didn't have an umbrella and would therefore get soaking wet, catch a cold that would evolve into pneumonia and die.

I didn't care about any of that.

What I did care about was that Jacob had lied to me. He'd pretended to be my friend to gain more. I didn't want more! I also cared about finding out why it bothered me as much as it did. I'd been fairly sure that I was keeping a safe distance between him and myself.

What was all that imprinting nonsense about anyway? Didn't the 'imprintee' get a say? What if she didn't want it? What if she was happy just staying friends with the one who had done the imprinting? What if she didn't even want that much?

I kept my head down and focused on what I could see of the road side. I didn't want to trip or anything. That would be the icing on the cake. Not only would I be wet and cold, but I'd also be bleeding. Which would kill me first? I wondered. The pneumonia or the infected cut? Maybe they'd have to amputate which ever limb was harmed.

So focused on my morbid musings was I that the small blue Geo Prizm I'd seen by the beach was nearly on top of me before I noticed it. It was moving slowing and eventually following beside me at a crawl.

"Hello, Andrea?" I sighed and stopped, turning to face the now rolled down window. "I know we just met and all, but I'd feel a lot better if you'd let me drive you home."

It was the girl with the scars. Emily? She'd called off the welcoming party who'd met us on the beach. I'd guessed that she was an imprint, she'd been sitting with someone called Sam who looked a lot like Jacob. Extremely big and very tall. She wasn't exactly a stranger and maybe she'd have some answers to my questions. That, and I didn't really want to die from pneumonia and/or lose a limb.

"Yeah, I guess that'd be alright." I got in the old, broken down car and buckled my seatbelt.

For a few minutes there was silence in the car and then she asked, "So, he really didn't tell you?"

I nodded stiffly. "That's right."

"That stupid, stupid boy," she muttered. She let out a sigh. "You'll have to excuse his lack of tact. I suppose it didn't occur to him that _that_ particular story would be told tonight."

I couldn't stop the questions that bubbled to my lips then. "Why didn't he tell me? Why did he let me think he only wanted friendship?" I forced my mouth to stop allowing words to exit, annoyed at myself for not being able to hold my tongue.

"Hmm, Jacob's the only one who can answer your first question. I don't know what motivated him to keep that secret to himself. As for the second...I don't believe he was leading you on. I don't think he could. Not knowing that friendship was what you really wanted." She pulled over and stopped the car. Turning to look at me she said, "I won't say that he might not have hoped for more later on, but as long as you were content then so was he."

I was unconvinced, and she could see that. "I realize that it was a bit of a shock to you. Believe me when I say that I understand your reaction. I was more than angry when I found out..." she shook her head. "That story, however, doesn't relate to the present situation. You must have many questions, I'll answer everything I can, and I promise that I'll keep quiet about it."

She was right, there were a great many things that I needed to know. And she looked like a trustworthy sort of person. Besides, who else was I going to ask?

The next hour or so was spent in a constant flow of conversation. Emily told me all she knew about imprinting, all the things I now wanted to know. Well, most of the things I wanted to know. She couldn't tell me anything about why Jacob had done what he did. I hadn't expected her too though, so it wasn't much of a loss. All in all I gained great insight to the 'pack mind' and all the stipulations that went along with being a werewolf.

"Andrea," she said, once I'd asked everything I felt comfortable asking. She put a hand on my shoulder. "I think you're a really great girl and I can sympathize with you. I understand the situation better than you will ever know." I nodded. "So I'm going to give you some advice and I really hope you take it. My life would have been a hell of a lot easier if I'd had someone to say this to me." She looked me square in the eye and then told me, "Give Jacob the benefit of the doubt. Don't stay angry at him for any longer than you have too. Let him apologize."

I felt my lips jut out in a pout. "Why should I?"

She sighed. "Because he's a stupid, idiotic boy. He doesn't know what he's doing. This is all very new for him. That and, well, I don't want to have to deal with him moping around the Reservation for the next week and a half." The look on her face at the idea of it was hilarious.

I tired very hard to keep a straight face and failed miserably. I'd meant to only let out a giggle and then the dam broke. We simultaneously burst into laughter that lasted for a least ten minutes. It must've been the exhaustion.

After she'd sobered up, I was still giggling, she finished our conversation. "I think it's time for you to go home now. Not that this wasn't insanely entertaining and enlightening, but I am starting to get a little sleepy." With that she re-started her car and had me home within fifteen minutes.

* * *

I crept quietly into the house and to my bedroom, changed into my most comfortable pajamas and crawled under the covers as quickly as I could. All I wanted to do now was fall into the darkness that was unconsciousness and forget about everything had happened. I didn't want to think about Jacob anymore tonight. Or today, whatever.

Of course sleep didn't come as easily as I wanted it to and I found that trying not to think of something inevitably led to thinking about it.

I couldn't keep Jacob out of my head. As much as I wanted to keep it simple and blame him for everything I knew that it wouldn't be fair. I couldn't do it. I knew, deep down, that he wouldn't have pushed me farther than I was willing to go. That story had been a shocker though! And I was still feeling betrayed. He should have told me in the beginning instead of letting me find out this way. I didn't imagine that he'd meant for me to learn of imprinting from anyone other than himself, but if he'd just sucked it up let me know then this wouldn't have happened.

He was going to have to sweat it out for a few days. I wanted him to be nervous, I wasn't ready to completely forgive him yet. I would eventually and it wouldn't be long, but not yet.

With my decision made I finally felt the sensation of falling asleep. My thoughts began to wander, stopped making sense and before I knew what happened I was dreaming of nonsense words that had no meaning.

It felt like I had only been asleep for a minute or two when a bright light woke me up. Surely it wasn't morning yet?

I rolled over with a groan and shielded my eyes from the near blinding light that had been turned on. I caught sight of my alarm clock and noted that it was only four in the morning. I wondered idly why anyone would be awake at this hour.

"Ann!" Samantha, of course. She was the only one who would do this to me. "Come on, get up," she was shaking me. "It's time to have...the talk."

"What do you mean 'the talk'?" I mumbled. We'd already done that, two years ago when she'd had her first boyfriend.

"I mean the Andrea is hanging out with a guy who is both literally and figuratively hot talk. I know something is going on okay? I'm not stupid."

I forced myself onto my back and cracked open an eye. "I know you aren't stupid and I never said you were."

Her head was nodding. "Good, then you won't mind telling me what it was you two were doing that kept you out until well after one o'clock in the morning."

There was no getting her away from the subject. Once she was set on something she wanted she kept going until she got it. She sort of reminded me of the energizer bunny. I decided that it would be better to get it over with. "Honestly, we didn't do much. It was a party Sammy, food and music. And some storytelling. I got tired and a La Push girl gave me a ride home, that's all. No secrets." That wasn't completely true, but she didn't need to know that.

She seemed disappointed. "Oh," her face brightened. "Well, then let me ask you about the eye sex."

"The eye what?" I didn't understand what she was talking about nor was I sure that I'd heard her correctly.

Her smile was reminiscent of the Cheshire cat's grin. "The eye sex, not on your part, on his. Don't tell me you've _never_ noticed the way he looks at you?"

I felt my head shaking. Surely she was joking?

"Oh my gosh Ann! You're blind! He's practically making love to you!" She flopped onto the bed dramatically. "How have you not seen that?"

"I think the real questions are why were you looking and how can you tell?" This wasn't making any sense and I wasn't convinced that I was even actually awake.

"It's obvious to anyone with half a brain. Why do you think I'm so against you two being together?"

I hoisted myself up onto my elbows and glared at her. "We are not 'together'."

It was clear that she didn't believe me. "If you're not now then you will be later. I can see it." She let out a sigh. "I have to say that I wish you wouldn't."

It was then that I realized just how hard all of this had been on Samantha. While she hadn't witnessed the problem first hand as I had she had probably guessed just about everything. She was going to start eleventh grade in new school in just a couple of weeks, she'd needed to leave everything thing behind.

Could I say that she was being selfish for not wanting more change? No, not really. I didn't blame her for feeling the way she did. At the same time though she had to understand that this wasn't about her. Whatever happened between Jacob and I, while it would inevitably effect her, wouldn't change everything the way she seemed to think it would.

"Samantha, I can't make any promises. I really can't. I wish I knew where life was going, but I don't. If there's one thing I've learned in these last few weeks it's that I don't know as much as I thought I did." I sat up moved to sit on the edge of the bed beside her. "I know you think that Jacob is out to destroy everything you hold dear and to come between us..." I didn't know how to explain it too her. Maybe it was something one had to learn on their own? "These sort of things happen. Relationships happen, sometimes they fall apart and sometimes better things fall together and..."

I knew that I wasn't making much sense. I didn't know what I was talking about, I was normally much better at the 'advice' talks. "Okay, this isn't coming out right at all. I'm too tired to do this right now, can we please postpone the reassurances for later today?"

Sam didn't look like she wanted to say yes, not at all. As soon as I saw her eyes roll though, I knew that I'd won myself a bit more time. "Fine. First thing though, as soon as you wake up."

"Sure, great, awesome." I just wanted sleep. "Now please turn off that horrible light and let me rest!" She did as I asked and as soon as I heard the door click shut I turned off the bedside lamp and crawled under the covers.

Slumber eluded me of course. Samantha had dredged up exactly what I hadn't wanted to think about.

What was I going to tell her in the morning?

**A/N: Sorry this took so long! School has once again begun and it's my senior year so I'm applying to college (not in the plural, there is only one place I want to go) and writing the essays so that cuts into fanfic time. But I swear that I was actively working on this chapter every day.**

**P.S. There is a link to the picture of Ann's dress on my profile!**

**Here's a joke:**

**Question- What did the fish say when it swam into a wall?**

**Answer- ?**

**If you know the answer send it in a review! If you don't know review and I'll send it to you.**

**BTW, I'm pretty upset that I only got 3 reviews for the last chapter. There are only 2 left (no more than that, maybe less...) and an epilogue, bringing the chapter count to 17(possibly). Then that's it! No more GM. So I seriously want some reviews. **


	15. Chapter 15

**True- Ryan Cabrera**

** &**

**Realize- Colbie Caillat**

**Disclaimer- Nope, amazingly enough I still don't own any of Stephenie Meyer's copyrighted material.**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. Epilogue will be up soon. R&R**

**Jacob's POV**

I slept in the woods that night, curled up in a big, furry ball. I didn't want to be around the rest of them and their gooey love. It was too much to take when my own heart so close to falling to pieces.

The air was cool and the sky, amazingly enough, was clear. I could see each bright star winking it's own silver light. The moon was full and gleaming with borrowed and reflected brightness.

In my mind's eye I imagined how it would have been if that damn story hadn't been told. I would've taken Ann to sit on the highest cliff and we would have watched the sky together. I'd point out the constellations and maybe she'd know some of them too. Eventually she'd get cold and I'd have to keep her warm...

I shook the images from my head. That _wasn't_ what had happened and at this point it didn't seem like there was any chance of it becoming reality.

Nothing ever went the way I wanted it to. Ever.

Maybe I had just never been meant to really find and keep love. Perhaps I was incapable of it. I'd already lost my first love to someone else; would the second, the one that mattered, leave me too?

I couldn't take that. Andrea was everything to me. More than that even. There were no words long or elaborate enough to describe how much I needed her. If she went away there would be nothing left for me. My life would end.

Melodramatic as it may have sounded, it was the truth. There would truly be no point in living. If she didn't want me around I would make sure that I was gone. Why would I want to continue? Why would I want to simply exist?

Would it be possible to live in a world without air?

She was my air. Sweet and cool and fresh. Without her my lungs would stop expanding, my heart would stop beating and my mind would cease to function. Andrea was a necessary part of my life. I couldn't _be_ without her. I was connected to her in a way that no one else would or could ever understand.

I couldn't let this be the end of us. I couldn't let this one mistake ruin everything. There had to be a way to show her that whatever she wanted she would have. That I wouldn't push her into anything. If all she ever wanted was for us to be friends then that was what we would be. I had to make her understand.

I belonged with her. Was it selfish of me, to want her company so badly? I couldn't help my feelings, but did I have to impose them on her as I was? No. I didn't. I wasn't sure though, that I could stop myself.

We belonged together. I would do anything, promise her anything, give her anything so long as she would allow me to stay. I couldn't expect her to ever be able to return my intense love in any form, but maybe she would let herself be my friend. I didn't care if I was hers or not, she would be mine. That was more than I had at this moment.

Something was better than nothing and beggars couldn't be choosers. I would take what I could get and be happy with it. If by some miracle she found that she could feel even half what I felt for her...

But no. I wouldn't even think of it. Not only because the chances of it happening were slim to none, but because the idea made me anxious and I couldn't go into this situation half crazed. I had to be calm, to appear it at any rate. If that was possible.

I couldn't let her see how close to madness I was. How could she consider what I had to tell her objectively if she thought the words were those of a mad man? They would be, but I didn't want her to realize that. She wouldn't take me seriously.

How long would it take her to calm down? I couldn't go to her while she was still feeling really pissed, that would be asking for rejection, disappointment. I was desperate but I wasn't stupid.

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

The next time I opened my eyes all was dark and silent. It hadn't been half an hour since I'd fallen back to sleep.

I laid on my back, staring at the ceiling. My mind was blank, devoid of all thought. Not thinking of anything was better than thinking of _him_.

I didn't understand myself any more. Everything I'd thought I'd known had flown out the window only a few...weeks?... past. Had it truly only been weeks? It felt like years had gone by since I'd left my home. So very much happened since then.

So very much that I absolutely did not want to think about. It was impossible though, to keep the thoughts out. The picture of his broken, pained face came first. My heart ached at the image.

Frowning to myself I pushed the thought away. I didn't want to think about that. I didn't want to feel that way. I did not want to pity him. I was the one in the right, he had been wrong. He'd kept something from me.

_Don't you think that, maybe, he was holding that particular piece of information back for a reason?_

I ignored my conscious, I didn't want to be fair. I wanted to hold onto my anger and my annoyance for as long as I possibly could. He deserved it. He had to deserve it.

_Isn't he hurting enough?_

Once again I didn't want to be fair. I was being selfish, childish and completely irrational. I knew it, but I didn't care. I had been hurt, who cared about Jacob?

_Why does it bother you so much?_

That, though a good question, was not one I was willing to answer. I didn't even have a response and finding one would require more effort than I was prepared to give. It stayed with me though, and I found that I couldn't banish the thought from my mind.

Why _did_ I care so much? Why did it bother me that Jacob hadn't told me absolutely everything?

Maybe it was because I had told him everything. Maybe I thought he owed me something. Nearly as soon the idea entered my mind it was gone again. I knew that wasn't true. I had never, ever felt that Jacob, of all people, had any sort of debt to repay to me. I was the one who, no matter how much I'd disliked doing it, had taken advantage of anything he was willing to give.

Maybe--Maybe it was because I'd felt like there was something more than simple friendship between us, even before the accidental revelation. Like we were connected in some way...

The dam broke opened then and everything I'd been trying to repress came rushing in as if a wall had crumbled and broken down.

I remembered the most recent of events first; the La Push incident as it would now be called. I could once more see Jacob's anguish plainly written on his face as I told him off. I let it hurt now, let new feelings of regret pass over me. It was beyond unpleasant, soon though other, older memories pushed it aside. I thought of how he'd saved me, of how hard he tried to make me happy, of the little things that had previously escaped my conscious notice.

What was my problem!? How had I missed all of that? Why hadn't I seen what had clearly been right in front of my face? I prided myself on my observational skills, this was a blow to my self-esteem.

Samantha's observations made sense now, in a way. I still didn't understand the 'eye sex' comments and I doubted that I ever would, but I could see why she had been worried. Though I had never given off any kind of 'signals' Jacob certainly had. Yet I had been completely unresponsive. It was as if I'd been ignoring him purposefully.

The moment the idea that I was willfully blocking Jacob and his...affection entered my mind darkness was lifted from a corner of my brain that I hadn't even known existed.

I could see now that I was scared. I was afraid to get too close. I had been unconsciously worrying about what might happen between Jacob and I. Because what if I didn't end up with a happy ending? What if it turned out that this was somehow wrong and he found the person that he was actually supposed to be with? He would leave me and I couldn't take that kind of pain. I'd had too much of it in the last few years and I was unwilling to go looking for more. I didn't want it and I would do anything to prevent it.

It wasn't only about me either, what about the others? They could grow to see Jacob as family, if he were to leave what would it do to them? They had suffered just as much as I had and there was no way I could subject them to the feelings of disappointment they would undoubtedly come across. It would put Samantha off men forever; Abby would lose her sort-of father figure, John a role model...

But, what if it went the other way and everything turned out well? We could have our cake and eat it too. We'd get everything without having to give anything in return. That seemed far to good to be true.

There were so many possibilities, I was only considering two of the possible outcomes. Was there a middle ground? Somehow I felt like this was an all or nothing sort of situation. There was no hallowed point of reason. No happy medium for me work toward. I had to take life one way or the other.

This was a fork in the road. I could go left or I could go right. But which way was the best way? Should I stay away from him and in doing so fend of possible unhappiness or should I take a chance and maybe walk away with the grand prize?

Whatever I chose it would be a turning point and new chapter in my life would begin.

How could I choose if I couldn't be sure of the outcome? What ifs were everywhere. I refused to do this without properly preparing for it. That meant that I would need all the knowledge on the subject of 'imprinting' that I could get. I had to know what it meant exactly and whether or not it could be reversed. I had to know what it meant for me if I accepted it and what it meant for Jacob if I didn't.

**

* * *

**

Jacob's POV

I passed by the trees so quickly that they were nothing but a blur of different shades of green. I'd made up my mind.

I couldn't leave her, obviously, not completely. Not even if that was what she wanted. I'd follow behind her like a shadow, silent and unnoticed, watching to be sure that she was safe, and happy, and healthy. She would never see me, but my mind would at peace. Relatively at peace anyway.

She had to know the whole truth. Everything. About imprinting in general, about specific cases, and about my own 'print. I had to tell her how much she meant to me. She had to know that she had a choice and she had to know that whatever it may be it would effect myself. Even if it hurt her she had to know.

I would tell her everything and hope that she could handle it.

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

I'd just gotten out of the house and couldn't believe that I'd gone unnoticed. Granted it was still very early. Though I'd tried to fall back to sleep it simply hadn't happened. I couldn't waste time sleeping when there were so many other more important things to think about, so many things to figure out.

I was just about to get into the car when I heard the heavy foot, paw, falls headed toward me. I knew it was him, who else would it be? Showing up just as I was going to leave to see him; that had to be a sign right? That had to mean something.

He didn't even stop to change in the woods and that was an issue. The moment he saw me 'boom!' Andrea meet Jacob, all of Jacob.

"Jacob!" I screeched as I turned swiftly to face away from him; my face turning tomato red. That boy! There I was ready to forgive and forget and he pulls a stunt like that. "Of all the...Why would you do that?!"

"Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry. Don't look!"

"Oh, I was totally about to turn around, thanks for letting me know it was a bad idea." The sarcasm was absolutely dripping. "Really, I appreciate that. _Really._"

"I'm sorry!" There was scuffling and an 'oof' before he told me it was alright to look again.

I turned slowly to face him, unsure that I could manage to do so without regaining the scarlet tinge that had so recently faded from my cheeks. He was still half naked and I did turn red again.

He took my face's coloring the wrong way. "Please don't be mad Annie honey, I didn't mean it. Honestly."

I shivered slightly at his casual usage of affectionate terms. I couldn't be sure whether or not I liked it.

"Why are you here Jacob? I thought I told you to stay away until I called for you." I needed to stop thinking about the fact that he was shirtless.

"I know, I tried, really I did. I couldn't wait though, I had to try..."

**

* * *

**

Jacob's POV

I told her everything I knew, leaving nothing out. She didn't ask any questions just listened to what I had to say. Her expression was blank and I had no idea what she was thinking. I was anxious to hear what she had to say yet at the same time terrified of what that might be.

When my monologue came to an end I took a moment to frame the question I now had to ask. It would seal my fate either way.

"Tell me please, I have to know. No matter what the answer is." I took a deep breath. "Do you want me to leave?"

In the seconds that past before she answered me my life flashed before my eyes; the moments that had past and the moments that _could_ be.

I remember how broken up I'd been over Bella, how much it had hurt. I remembered knowing that the pain would never go away and that I'd always have to live with the knowledge that I'd lost the only person I could ever love. Then I'd seen Andrea and everything I'd thought I'd known flew out the window. It'd felt as if everything finally made sense. Of course I wasn't meant to be with Bella; she had brown hair and brown eyes. I was supposed to be with someone who black hair and green eyes. I was supposed to be with someone who had four sister's and a brother and a heavy load on her shoulders.

Andrea was perfect for me and being without her would be unbearable. I would be empty if she left me now. There would be next to nothing left for me. I would follow her all the days of her life and when she passed away I would pass on also.

There was though another prospect, she could tell me that she wanted me to stay. That she wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with her. I didn't expect that, not by a long shot, but something was better than nothing. If she wanted to be nothing but friends for all of time well then I'd deal with that.

My heart stopped beating when she opened her mouth to answer me.

**

* * *

**

Annie's POV

That was a loaded question, because he wasn't asking if I wanted him to leave my house, he was asking if I wanted him to leave _me_. Forever.

I bit my lip as I thought about it, looking down. I didn't want that. I didn't want to never see Jacob again, he was to much a part of my life. I couldn't just cut him out, I knew it wouldn't work that way.

'It wouldn't work that way'. What was 'it'? What wouldn't work?

I knew what 'it' was. 'It' was my life. My life wouldn't work if Jacob wasn't part of it. I had become dependent on him for so many things. I needed him there for mental and emotional support, I needed him to be there. Nothing would be right without him; this was about more than feeling indebted.

Quiet suddenly, and with force that left me breathless, I could see with perfect clarity what was at the end of each of the two paths. One of them would lead to a brilliantly beautiful happiness and the other to sadness, regret, and discontent.

The choice was almost too easy now. I wondered idly why I had been unable to make this decision earlier.

I shook my head quickly, afraid that my silence had gone on too long. "No. No I don't want you to leave."

After staring at the ground for what seemed like eons I managed at force my eyes up to look at him. I couldn't have been happier to see that big, beaming smile of his.

"Really? Are you sure, positive I mean?" He took a step closer, his brows furrowing and a slight frown replacing that brilliant smile.

"Yes, I'm sure Jacob. Positive." I kept my face serious and stoic.

"Really?" He was grinning again as he grabbed me, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Really, really," I answered. And then I allowed him to do something that no other boy had ever had the privilege of doing. I let him kiss me.

_**Two Years Later...**_

**Annie's POV **

I fell back against the bed, I was exhausted, and yet completely satisfied. I couldn't have been any happier, I let out a sigh and rolled over to place my head on Jacob's bare chest.

"Shit, that was crazy." I narrowed my eyes, he would ruin it...

"Shut up Jacob before you ruin everything," he was quiet for a while, but he just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"So, you wanna...?" he trailed off suggestively.

"Jacob, shut your mouth. No, I do not want to do 'it' again." I left it at that, let him think he'd been awful; he hadn't, not at all, but he deserved something for being so stupid.

"...was it that horrible? I tried not to hurt you..." I really couldn't stand him sometimes, how darn sad he could sound. I looked up at him, he seemed so upset.

I took pity on the fool, my fool. No matter how much he sometimes annoyed me he was still mine. The thought made me smile.

Carefully I moved upward, placing my mouth over his for a moment before telling him; "No, it wasn't bad. You ruined the moment, learn to keep quiet."

"Oh, sorry," he sounded relieved.

"I forgive you."

I laid back down and he put his arm around me. It was strange, how incredibly far we had come. From being almost incapable of holding a steady conversation to _marrying_. I didn't regret giving into him, I couldn't.

He was so completely devoted to me, my only worry was that I wouldn't be able to live up to it. That I didn't deserve what he'd given me. I was so worried that I'd somehow mess it all up, and then he would leave me. I didn't care how many times he explained the imprinting compulsion, I just couldn't understand it. It was too far over my head.

I knew that I needed him more than anything. I hadn't known it until I'd met him, but now I realized that my life had been missing something until he'd entered it. It was the missing stars all over again; only he was more than that. He was my night, and my day. He was always there. He had become my everything. My air.

He caught my hand as it was lightly tracing random patterns onto the naked skin of chest and brought it to his lips. "I love you," he whispered.

I nuzzled my head against him before answering. "I love you too." Being with him was something I didn't think I'd ever get used to.

"...so are you sure..."

"Yes, Jacob. I'm _sure."_

_**The End**_


	16. Epilogue

_**Epilogue **_

**In My Daughter's Eyes- Martina Mcbride **

**Jacob's POV**

"Ann, whats that?" There was a puddle on the floor and my wife was sitting at the kitchen table not doing a thing about it. That in itself was enough to make me worry. She'd been cleaning obsessively for weeks.

"What do you think it is Jacob?" It seemed to me that it was a loaded question. I wasn't sure that I was supposed to answer her; was it a rhetorical inquiry? She didn't look like she was going to say anything else.

"I, uhhh, don't know." It sounded like more of a question than an answer.

She glared at me. "Think Jacob, think really, really hard. What is supposed to be happening very soon? What have I been worrying about for the last three months?"

Her tone of voice surprised me. Ann wasn't usually this easily angered, the last time she'd been like this had been nearly seven months ago; she'd been irritable for a while after we'd found out that she was.....oh.

"Oh." My mind had gone blank.

"Oh? Oh what honey? Love of my life? Oh, I still don't know? Or, oh, shit I'd better help Annie get to the car before she has ANOTHER CONTRACTION!?" She grabbed at her stomach and bent over, covering her mouth with her free hand to muffle a shriek.

"The 'oh shit' one!" I was beside her in an instant, I didn't know what to do. I was in full panic mode.

The contraction didn't last long and she began giving me instructions. "I already called the hospital, they said they'd be ready for us whenever we got there. Get the phone and dial Emily, she'll want to know, and grab my bag. It's upstairs, under the bed."

I seemed to be incapable of functioning properly. I did as she said, but it took a while and I made a lot of mistakes. The half hour that followed would forever be a blur of blind panic. I didn't think I'd ever remember what exactly took place before we entered the hospital. All I knew was that I'd gotten her there and that I was still alive.

* * *

**Annie's POV**

I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him. Mentally he was somewhere else entirely and I had no idea where that might be. It was like he'd retreated to some strange, dark corner in his mind and was hiding out until the storm passed.

I couldn't believe that now, when I was in labor, he decided to check out. Of all times, he choose now.

I was sure that a miracle had occurred when we got to the hospital unscathed. I'd done my best to keep my mouth shut but those pot holes....and the speeding!

"Jacob, was it really necessary to blow through that last light?!" Stress, I didn't need stress! "I'm having a baby, not dieing."

Instead of answering he put his head between his knees and took slow, deep breaths.

"Just, help me into the hospital alright? How long could it possibly take? All I have to do is push the kid out."

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

Famous last words, 'how long could it take?'.

Twenty four hours, that was how long it could take! She'd been in labor for twenty four hours. A whole _day_ and _night._ Put together! Twelve plus twelve!

I didn't know how much longer I could hold out. I was going insane; she kept screaming in agony and yelling at me and crying and refusing the pain medication. I would've taken it if they'd offered it to me; would it have helped my spinning head? Would it have help the nausea I was feeling?

I didn't know how to do this. Where I was I supposed to stand? Was it okay that she kept hitting me? Was that normal? How could this be normal?

It wasn't just now either, what about later; what happened then? The baby would leave the hospital with us! We'd have to take care of it, feed it, change it's diaper. What if I messed up?! I wouldn't be able to 'fix' it, this was a person. This person was mine, ours. We were going to be responsible for a child.

"Alight Andrea, it's time honey." Wait, what?! I wasn't ready yet, I'm not ready! How do I make the doctor stop?!

"Finally," Ann sighed with relief. How can she be happy that the weight of the world is about to be placed on my shoulders?

"I'm not ready." It came out so quietly; my voice shook. I'm such a wimp.

* * *

**Annie's POV**

I almost felt bad for him.

"Too damn tough." Almost, but not quite.

Who the hell cared about Jacob? I was the one in pain. I was the one having contractions. I was the one who was getting ready to give birth! Couldn't he at least try to help me through it? He was about to be a father for goodness sakes!

I was more then ready to _finally_ push. I wanted this to be over! I was tired of the constant pain; I wanted this child out of my body.

The nine months that had past hadn't been as hard as I'd always imagined they would be. Morning sickness didn't last forever, and I did not mind missing my monthly 'visitor'. Getting bigger didn't even bother me, I almost never thought about it. Looking back I actually enjoyed being pregnant. Feeling that first kick, knowing that someone was always with you...it was great!

This was something else entirely. I couldn't have dreamed that the act of bringing a human into the world hurt as much as it did. Sure I'd seen the videos of women giving birth before, but it had never really sunk in. Now I understood.

I felt ugly. I knew I was ugly. I huffing and puffing and red and sweating. I was beyond hideous.

"That's right dear, one more---," I took a deep breath and put all the energy I had left into the final push. I didn't think it was ever going to end and then, finally, I heard a cry. "It's a girl!"

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

I fainted.

When I came to all the doctors had left and I was in a chair in another room. Ann was propped up in bed and holding something that was wrapped in a blanket. For a moment or two nothing made sense to me; I couldn't figure out where I was or why I was there. And then I remembered:

I was a father. I had a little girl.

"Her name is Helena Rose." Helena, my baby girl.

"Really?" I whispered as I got up and made my way tot he side of the bed. Was this a dream?

Ann nodded at me. "You get to pick when we have a boy..."

I waved my hands at her. "Let's not talk about that okay?" I wasn't ready for this one yet and she wanted to discuss the next. "I'm not willing to think about it now." I was still in shock.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let's talk about this one then. She's going to start piano lessons as soon as she turns five and ballet at seven. I want her to know how to cook and clean and," I interrupted her.

"Hold it! She's not going to be a sissy. You can do some of that stuff, but I want her in self defense classes. I'll teach her how to do important things like change a tire and check the oil........"

"What are you talking about?! She doesn't need to know that junk, she's a little girl. She'll like pink and lace and ruffles and things like that."

"Well she doesn't _need_ to know ballet. I say she'll want her room painted blue, not powered blue either. Dark blue. And," the baby, Helena, yawned then and blinked up at me stopping me in my tracks.

* * *

**Annie's POV**

We both stopped speaking and watched as Helena's face grew bright with a smile.

"Maybe," I hesitated. "Maybe she'll want both."

Jacob nodded his assent. "Maybe." He looked from our baby to me and back again. "She looks like you."

"Really?" I questioned. "I thought she looked more like you."

He shrugged. "So."

"So." I repeated.

"This is it I guess. Something completely new and different."

"Yeah."

"Think we can do it?"

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

"I think so," she answered. "I doesn't seem too hard. I've taken care of all the others without any major incidents. You've done alright too."

That was right, I had gained some experience during my time as part of her family. "You'll help me right?" I still didn't trust myself though.

She laughed at me. "Of course!" The laughter died away and she asked, "You'll help me too, won't you?" Could she really be worried about that? My loving, beautiful, intelligent, caring wife? Could she be feeling the same way that I was?

"Sure I will." I sat down beside her on the bed and slowly took Helena from her. Her tiny fist curled around my finger and suddenly I was sure that everything would work itself out. We'd gotten this far hadn't we? "It'll be okay Ann, we can do this."

* * *

**Annie's POV**

"Yeah," I murmured watching him with our baby. "We can do this."

Strangely enough, I believed it.


End file.
